An Immaculate Misconception
by Gearhead Fenton
Summary: After some scarring events in Amestris, the Elrics attempt in starting a new life in London, England. Edward has even chosen a completely new career. But what will happen when he is faced with a patient, oddly resembling the girl who died in his arms?
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: _PLEASE READ, OR AT LEAST READ THE BOLDENED STUFF. _**Hello! I'm terribly sorry I haven't written any stories for a while. I was on hiatus with some trips, projects, tests, homework, (insert all other things you guys dont want to bother reading). All in all, this is a _kind of_ new story I'm working on. If you guys had a chance at reading my one-shot entitled 'Find Me' (which I deleted), then you'll get somewhat of a taste of where I'll be going with this. Of course, it won't be exactly the same, I'll be adding much more things to it. Also, **PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS MAY END UP BEING A MORE MATURE-AUDIENCE THEMED STORY. **I don't really intend on keeping this G rated, but I wont promise making it M rated either. I may or may not go that far. With all these things in mind, I do hope you enjoy the first chapter of many to come. (:

* * *

_Thoughts whirred and whizzed inside Edward's mind. At first, he thought it was still just the sounds of mechanics, sawing away at glimmering sheet metal, sanded to the final inklings of its strength. Only Truth knew how many times he'd come across those sounds throughout his life. Edward surprisingly found himself longing for the annoyance, anything to keep his mind occupied. To put it simply, it was endless. An endless pit, filthy with the past. But nothing could have been filthier than his intentions those few years ago. It was unjust, cruel even. He had planned to leave her. How dared she leave him first? After all those years of looking forward to the future, reassuring his younger brother that she wouldn't, in fact, be needed after he retrieves their bodies, Edward didn't once dare stroll by the thought of her leaving first. And to think that all he could do was clutch her bloody body and cry in her chest, his screams muffled in the fabrics of her shirt as memories of what had happened just moments ago flew through his mind._

_"No way am I going back, Brother! I'm coming with you! I finally have you back, I-..."_

_His face had looked so determined and joyful, as always. Even as a faceless suit of armour, his brother's emotions radiated like a thousand burning suns. So, why? Why did it crumble? Better yet, why did Edward hesitate before looking behind him? Surely, an unfortunate event was inevitable in the conditions at the time, but it happened so quickly, the amber eyed boy found himself generously pleading for time to 'calm down a little'. It barely took a quick glimpse at her shocked face before the zeppelin buckled. What was there to be done? Two boys couldn't alter the past._

_Two boys who couldn't even save a little girl._

"Brother. Ed. Edward. Hey. Short-stuff."

Edward's mind immediately snapped back to reality upon hearing the crude remark. Unsurprisingly, he found himself shooting a disgusted scowl at his younger brother, his nails digging deep into the wooden bar table before him. There was barely anyone else left at that time of night. He could just make out a drunken middle aged man slumped against the back door, if he wasn't mistaken. The bartender wiped the beer glasses clean, his small beady eyes glancing at the 24 year old from time to time. Beside him, Alphonse stood, his face stern with the slightest hint of concern. _What the hell is he looking at?_

"Yeah, what?"

"You haven't touched your ale. And stop tracing your fingers over the brim, will you? The sound is annoying, and you'll break the glass! Plus, you still haven't payed."

Alphonse was given a quick reply with a flick of his brother's wrist, which surprisingly annoyed him more than he'd think.

"My pocket money is your pocket money... Besides I didn't even drink it yet." The wooden stool he'd been sitting on dragged across the floorboards, causing a more atrocious sound than that of the alcohol glass. Alphonse glanced at the bartender beside him, who looked just about ready to sock his brother in the face mercilessly. Alphonse chuckled nervously, and hushed a silent apology, attempting hard not to perform the favour himself.

"Hurry up, Alphonse. I'll be waiting in the car."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

The younger brother sighed, glancing at the single spot he'd been wiping for ages a final time. It was nerve wracking, really, how blunt and rude his brother was sometimes. And in front of his burly, 6'2 bartending boss at that!

"Yer brother still stuck on old time's ass?"

"Uh, well, I'd imagine... Look, Spencer, I'm real sorry about Edward. He's still, uh, in progress, so to speak."

Spencer's eyes remained glued to the glass in his hands, but his silent snorts could be faintly heard. Alphonse wasn't sure how to reply at this point, and frankly found himself trapped in a rather awkward silence. With a bow of his head, he bid the man a quick farewell before dashing out of the bar to meet with his brother. He was glad Edward hadn't drunk any of his alcohol for the mere fact that Alphonse was far too exhausted to drive.

"Finally get away from the gorilla?"

"You almost got me killed." Alphonse scowled.

"I always almost get people killed."

Alphonse bit his tongue.

* * *

"Noah, sweetheart, please stop pacing. You're making my head spin."

Noah's eyes flickered from beneath her chocolate bangs, glancing at her fiancé. "I... Forgive me. I'm simply worried. Those two boys have barely returned any of my calls, and still haven't written back. And after all Edward has been through... And Alphonse, that poor boy, he's barely of age to withstand all of this-"

"They'll make it, Noah. These are the Elrics we're talking about here. They can figure something out for themselves."

A slow sigh escaped the gypsy's lips as she plunked down beside the dark haired man. Although his face remained plastered with determination, Noah could see right through him as if he were made of glass. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, almost as if wishing he could take back every word he spoke.

"Believe me," he said, gently stroking her cheek. "It'll be fine. And Edward's gotten a job offer as well, hasn't he? He's a smart man, I'm sure he'd be great at it!"

"Oh, listen to yourself, Kain!" Noah cried, waving her arms above her head uncontrollably. "You know what an emotional wreck that man is! And to think, he chose a career path that includes dealing with souls just as unfortunate as his own?" Her index and middle fingers gently rubbed her temples, desperately attempting to ease the stress. Kain nervously fidgeted beside her. He couldn't help but agree with her, Edward needed help. But the pride bubbling inside that boy caused him to go as far as choosing this particular path, in order to prove those who cared for him wrong. And it was for this reason that a small part of both Kain and Noah felt as if it were their faults.

Roughly clearing his throat with a thundering 'HEM!', Kain rose from the comfy sanctuary of his sofa, and made his way towards the front door, overlooking the streets of Kent, England. The air was foggy, but the harsh winds kissed his cheeks bright red.

"I'm just going down the street to pick up the paper. I'll be back before you know it."

He didn't give her a chance to respond, as he abruptly shut the door behind him, immediately shoving his already-frozen hands into the furry pockets of his jacket. His nose nuzzled against the scarf bound tightly around his neck, as the familiar newspaper stand came into view.

"Kain Foster, well I'll be!"

A happy-looking, middle-aged man emerged from behind the newspaper stand. His face was round, and a smile of stubbles poked out from cheek to cheek. There was a rather large cigarette stuck in his mouth, but all in all, anyone could recognize this man from ten miles away.

"Mr. Markel! How do you do?"

"Quite well! The ladies feeling better, and my son came down for a visit just yesterday!"

"Oh?" Kain replied swiftly, snatching a recent issue and scanning over the front cover briefly. "And how did that go for you? Is he doing well in college?"

Mr. Markel shrugged, nodding with his jolly look slightly wavering. "Quite well. Almost graduated, with a fine girl living with him. I worry sometimes, but heck, the kids got to grow up one day! The only downfall would be that he says the area he's living in gets kinda hectic once in a while."

"Oh, that's too bad," Kain laughed nervously. "I know how much that boy likes his peace and quiet. He's living in London, correct?"

The man nodded once again, skimming over his own article for a few seconds. "Yep. Harrow. 'Parently one of his neighbour's nieces found a little lady going bonkers a few nights ago. 'Said she didn't remember nothin' from her past, some gibberish like that."

"An amnesiac?" Kain whispered.

"Probably. She apparently didn't seem to be very sane neither. Just glad they got her admitted to a safe environment!" Mr. Markel rose from the wooden crate he'd been seated on and flipped the sign reading 'OPEN', to 'CLOSED'. It was quite obvious that he was done conversing with the young man. Kain took this as his cue to leave, briefly clearing his throat with a thundering 'HEM!'

"Well, I'll be on my way now. Good seeing you, Markel."

"Yep, you too, kid."

And with that, Kain quickly speed walked away from the stand, leaving behind both his newspaper, and the brain throbbing scent of 2 packs worth of cigarette butts.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mr. Elric! How wonderful to finally meet you!"

"Likewise." Edward coughed, receiving a few nasty cracks and snaps while arching his back. Of course, he'd slept in again. The usual bags under his eyes were now tinted purple, his mouth opened more often to yawn rather than to speak, and he walked with a slouch whilst dragging his feet. He knew his brother wouldn't be too impressed at the scene. Regardless, he'd made sure to dress a bit more formal than usual, for the sake of an important interview with his soon-to-be-boss, who seemed frustratingly jolly for an early morning interview at such an environment.

"From what I've gathered, this is your first time working at such a place, yes?"

"Uh, yes, that's right. I used to study the mechanics of rockets in Germany before moving to England."

The burly elder man threw his head back and laughed, giving Edward a reaction he'd not expected. _What the hell is he laughing at? _"That's quite the change of occupation! Why the sudden switch, if you don't mind me asking?"

Edward chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head, a usual nervous habit. "Ah, well... My brother and I needed to start fresh. And I needed some help myself... Going to my therapists inspired me in a way, I suppose." The former alchemist began thanking the fact that this man didn't know him very well. If it were anyone else, they'd immediately catch that he'd been lying through his teeth. Edward Elric, too proud to allow himself such needs. "I hope my newbie self won't be much of a nuisance, Mr. Willis."

"Please! Call me Jacob!" The old man let out a final roaring chuckle before his happy features darkened. "I must say I like your confidence, Mr. Elric, however, I must remind you that this is an institution. Although you are new at this and we won't be sending you anywhere near the dodgy wings, this isn't the greatest environment to be in if you haven't fully recovered from your previous trauma, if any." Edward found his mouth slowly dropping to his knees, as Jacob stared deep into his eyes, almost sucking at his soul. The very thought sent shivers down the young man's spine. How had he known of his previous 'trauma'? _They don't call them professionals for nothing, I guess._

"You'll be in some of the safer areas of this madhouse, where only the short-term patients will be held. You know bad eating habits, depression, suicidal people, etc. You can handle that, I'm assuming?"

Edward nodded hastily, swallowing a glob of saliva that had taken refuge in the pit of his throat. Was this what he wanted? He wanted to help people. He didn't want any more people to die.

Or, at least not if they have a choice. But, heck, the blood of those he loved still stained his flesh to this very day. All those screams. All that crying. All those collapsing buildings. All that laughter-

Laughter?

"_Ahaha!_ Elric, my man, you need to ease up on those facial muscles!" Jacob chuckled, fiercely five-starring Edward smack dab in the middle of his back, causing the golden eyes man to yelp in pain.

"No worries, you'll have plenty of help from your employees! And remember, you got me! Now let me show you where the cafeteria is, you simply _must _try the deserts our chefs make!"

"Please... call me Edward..." The younger man mumbled quietly, rubbing his back. Quite frankly, he felt like the older man in this case.

* * *

"I know... Y-I'm sorry, Noah."

Alphonse rubbed the bridge of his nose with his left hand, his right holding the phone close to his ears. Noah had finally been able to reach them, or one of them, and gone berserk as to why they hadn't kept in touch.

"Alphonse, we're about a few hours' drive from where you boys are! Please, try and stop by when you can! The last time I saw you two was when Kain invited you over for Christmas, and that hasn't been for at least 4 months now!"

"I promise we'll come visit soon, Noah. Edward's starting his new job soon, and you know how he is when he has something new to worry about. He never keeps in touch. He never did even before we came he-...uh. Here..." Alphonse caught his final words cracking while he desperately pulled his thoughts away from wandering back to the memories of his final moments in Amestris. As much as his chest tightened, his voice was kept remotely steady.

"...Alphonse, I'm sorry I didn't mean to remind you o-...of... Well..."

"No no, Noah, it's alright. Really."

But Noah caught onto his monotone response as anything but. How she'd wished she had listened to Edward. The two brothers had reminded her time and time again that it wasn't her fault, but a small piece of her wouldn't ever allow her mind to believe it. Since then, she'd given up on her fortune telling talents in fear that staying too connected with her mind may take her aback to the events.

"Noah."

"I'm sorry, Alphonse, I really should be going. Kain should be home soon, and he's a bottomless barrel after work!"

The two chuckled happily for the next few minutes before hanging up. Noah sighed. It was good to hear his voice again. He was a spitting image of Alfons, it was quite remarkable. Alfons had also been one who really enjoyed her cooking, and had always been so grateful of her.

"Something's smelling great."

"Welcome home, Kain." Noah chuckled, brushing her lips over her fiancé's.

Kain smiled, gently rubbing her cheeks. "Oh, and Noah? Keep your mind from going there, will you? I like you better happy."

Noah simply stared at Kain, a small smile slowly shadowing her face. "I'll keep that in mind."

It was strange, really. The zeppelin had crash landed right in front of her eyes, and it was she that scrubbed the blood off of Edward and Alphonse. It was the last time she had witnessed death, making the moment truly unforgettable. Her visions were now an old friend, one she had no encounter with for some time. But there was still something waltzing and jigging inside the throbbing veins of her mind. Better yet, someone. Someone with extremely nice blonde hair, at that, singing a song like they had all the time in the world.

* * *

**A.N:  
**This took a few days, sorry. Thanks to all of you who added this to your favorites/story alerts, however, I'd like some reviews! Give me feedback, tell me what you think! I have some surprises in store for this story, and I'd like for you guys to keep up with me (:


	3. Chapter 3

_Mamma always told me that some things come naturally. These things could be seen as the equivalents of inevitability. Of course, I had to flip through at least 3 different encyclopaedias in order to fully understand what 'inevitable' meant. At my tender age of 7, I eventually gave up and decided that it was a type of flower, one of the pretty ones Mamma used to pick with Misses Queen. I still remember the confusion in Misses Queen's eyes when I'd ask my mother to go pick out one of those pretty 'inevitable flowers'. _

_But there were some things I never understood until much later. Mamma would read me stories about evil witches and spell casters doing terrible things to perfect pretty girls, and eventually dying when the handsome boys came to rescue them. I didn't understand why they would do such horrendous things. Wouldn't everyone be happy if they did good things? And, why did they target the perfect pretty girls? Wouldn't their chances of survival be higher if they picked out the girls nobody cared about? Lastly, I would always ask Mamma why Death was a flower. She would simply giggle, rub her first two fingers on the crown of my head, and tell me that even roses, the symbol of love, bear thorns that can make grownups cry. It was then that I realized why I liked flowers so much._

_They weren't perfect. They never made me feel like a perfect pretty girl, worthy enough to be kidnapped by a witch. But I guess I was close enough._

* * *

"Yo, newbie! What's your name?"

Edward jumped at the sudden voice with a yelp. It felt as if that was all he'd been doing since he first started. The employees and patients used harsh words, and sudden actions, it was slightly overwhelming. With a sigh, he tiredly mumbled "Edward" under his breath. The young lady cackled like an old witch, and Edward immediately recognized her. Dark hair, done up in a high pony tail, jumpy attitude and skin just a few tones darker than olive.

"I'll call you Ed! My name's Harriet! But you can call me 'Bunny'! It's a nickname my old man came up with when I was a wee little girl!" Bunny let out another loud chuckle and plopped herself down next to Edward, who was picking at his food in annoyance. It was a clever nickname. Harriet. 'Hare'. Bunny. Haha.

"It's.. er, nice to meet you, Bunny. Have you worked here a long time?"

"Five years to be exact!"

"Wow!" Edward's mouth outstretched in a grin, his interest quite piqued. "So you must have earned some sort of recognition by now! You work in the long-term wings, yeah?"

Bunny's former smile crackled and crumbled instantly. Her head lowered in shame, as she gently rubbed her forearms together nervously. "I... Um... I work in the short-term wing. But I have been to the long-term before."

"Oh? And how was it?" The former alchemist pushed onward, settling his chin on his palms, focusing intently on the young woman beside him. She giggled at his childish enthusiasm, immediately assuming he was one who was interested in 'knowing everything'. It was difficult to come across people nowadays with enthusiasm like that. It killed the young woman to think that she'd crush it so easily by a mere explanation. Her own memories and dreams were forever haunted by the things she saw that fateful day. Things that reminded her what a prisoner every living being really is. And of their own mind, at that.

Finally, Bunny cleared her throat, focusing her gaze on a single lettuce leaf. "It's... It... I'd rather stay in the short term wing."

Edward raised an eyebrow in concern. "Why's that?"

Bunny rose slowly from her seat, sighing. Her head turned towards the blonde beside her, and she gave him the gentlest smile she could pester herself to make.

"Stay away from the long-term wing if you know what's best for you."

And with that, the little Bunny hopped off. The golden haired boy sighed. He'd wanted to know what the long-term wings were like for some time now. For some reason or another, most people's faces darkened and wouldn't reveal much when asked. Being the elder Elric, these things simply gnawed at his curiosity like a snapping turtle that'd been given a scavenged rabbit. He smiled quietly to himself. He was finally on the verge of recovery, and turning back into his old self.

With a huff, he rose up from his seat, dumping the remains of his repulsive lunch in the bin. He owed Alphonse a call before picking him up from the bar, but opted to surprise him instead. Anything to stay away from that crazy Jacob Willis.

The engine of the Elric's car rumbled before coming to a stop. The former state alchemist was surprised to see his younger brother already standing outside the building, his eyes swollen. At first, Edward assumed it was due to fatigue, but as he drew closer, he realized it must have been more than just an early morning cleanup schedule.

"Al?" Edward chuckled. "You look like death. What happened to you?"

"I was mwwraaff... And so he mrwwfrf..."

"Blorg."

"What?"

"Exactly. Now talk properly."

Alphonse scowled at his older brother, rubbing his eyes for a few seconds while Edward laughed hysterically at his own weak joke. Al's fingers were filthy and dark, hangnails poking out from his skin. His nose was also slightly swollen, and his dirty blonde hair looked ruffled and messy.

"Some idiots were causing trouble, drunk as heck and barely standing on their feet. So I told them to leave, and one of them did a number on my face..."

"I'm guessing the gorill-"

"Edward."

"I'm guessing _Spencer_ saved the day, am I right?"

"Yep."

Edward laughed once more, ruffling his brother's hair.

"Let's get out of this hellhole, Al."

The two drove in silence for a bit, breaking it with an occasional groan from Alphonse. Suddenly, the younger Elric sat up straight, his face lighting up.

"Oh! I spoke to Noah a few days ago, I keep forgetting to tell you."

"Oh, yeah? How's she doing?"

"She was worried! Keeps on asking when we're going to visit them again."

They both chuckled joyfully at the thought of their gypsy friend. She was a kind girl, who looked like an identical copy of Rose. Although the brothers did not interact with Rose very often, she'd played a significant role in their lives. Even through all her hardships, she'd remained so strong, earning the strong respects of both brothers.

"Brother, we should really visit them! We don't want to keep them waiting, wondering if we'll ever see th-"

_SCREECH!_

Alphonse's eyes were now fully open, and his mouth nearly falling off his face. Slowly, he turned towards Edward, whose face was covered by a curtain of hair. The young Elric mentally kicked himself for being so careless.

"E...Edward that's not what I meant. Don't be like that. Lets go."

* * *

These colours. They're so pretty. But Misses Doctor always gets so angry with her when she uses her fingers to paint_._

The door opened gently, exposing a soft face. She cringes, ready for another scolding, but Misses Doctor doesn't yell. Or look angry, at that. She simply strolls in, and takes a look at her drawing. Happiness latches itself onto her face, but she can tell that Misses Doctor is all but happy.

"That's beautiful. What is it?"

A shrug.

"Just going with whatever comes to you?"

A nod.

"Is it something that you remembered?"

Nothing.

She looks up at Misses Doctor. She likes Misses Doctor a lot, but sometimes, she doesn't understand. She wishes that she could show her doctor prettier things. She wishes she could tell her she likes her, and they could be friends. But she can't. The words being spoken around her everyday are all so familiar. But she can't bring herself to say them.

Misses Doctor notices her uneasiness and chuckles, stroking her head calmly and reassuringly.

"And your name? Do you remember your name yet, darling?"

"Will be!" She says with bright confidence.

"Of course... You will be remembering soon."

"W...Will..."

Misses Doctor lets out a huffy breath and leaves. Why does Misses Doctor get so upset when she says her name? That is something else Misses Doctor doesn't understand. She doesn't understand _her._

She stands up and walks slowly towards the big comfy couch at the corner of her room. It was a gift from Misses Doctor's boss, or so she says. It is blue in colour, with yellow flowers all around it. It reminds her of the sea. She slowly lowers herself on top, leaving one leg hanging off. She begins swinging it to and fro, then remembering that the sharks may bite her, so she curls up in the corner, and that same sea begins to pour out of her face.

She doesn't like the sea.

* * *

**A.N: **Sorry for making you all wait! Thanks to all those who added this to their Story Alerts/Favourites! I'd like more reviews, but knowing that you guys are enjoying this makes me happy! It's going kind of slowly, I know, but I don't want to rush towards the interesting bits just yet. They're coming soon, though! So stay tuned (;

P.S: If you guys were slow enough not to know, Bunny is Paninya's alter.


	4. Chapter 4

Clap. Clap. Snap. Boom.

Was that how it went?

No. That's wrong. There was some sort of shuffle or extra snap in there somewhere. He couldn't quite remember, it was Winry who had remembered it each every time. Of course, she'd become upset when he'd forget. Especially when they were going to surprise Edward with the rhythm every time he was feeling under the weather. Edward himself could never remember the tune, although it would make him giddy with joy whenever his brother and Winry performed the tune for him.

The song was created by Aunty Sara and the Elric's mother when they were teenagers. They had taught Winry, and she had shown Ed and Al. Edward seemed to be mesmerized by how the claps and snaps matched perfectly with the rhymes. It was then that Winry and Alphonse had decided to create a secret ritual.

"Al, it isn't very hard! Just follow after what I do!"

"But, Winryyy! Can't you do the whole thing first so I can see?"

"Sure, silly!"

He remembered perfectly the way her face would light up while skipping and dancing to the beat of her own body. It was entertaining to watch, as the little girl had such passion in everything she'd do. It made Alphonse green with envy, but the feeling would fade quickly when she'd flash that brilliant grin, and call out 'now it's your turn!'.

Although Alphonse didn't manage to memorize the actions, he memorized the words within an hour. His accomplishment earned himself a freshly made candy apple from Uncle Urey, and one of mother's infamous praising head pats. There was also the fact that Winry was happily jumping up and down, and Brother had cheered up. He'd killed a number of birds with one stone proudly.

Winry made sure to remind him the rhythm before he set off on his quest to find his brother again. Sometimes, when he was feeling down, Alphonse would begin chanting the words of the song. He'd leave out the clap-snap actions that spiced it up, of course, but it always made him feel at ease. It reminded him he had a sister waiting for him back home.

Home.

Something he no longer felt as though he had.

Now, all he had was a drafty old apartment he and his brother were soon hoping to abandon in order to buy a better, well suited one that they could stay warm in.

Sometimes he'd catch himself crying. Sometimes, Edward would catch him catching himself crying. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't return to Resembool. No, it wasn't Resembool that made him feel at home.

It was her arms. No matter where of the world they were in, when Winry would hold Alphonse while he wept, he felt as though he could smell the scent of calla lilies, goats, and burn wood planks from the remains of their old house. It was the comfort of knowing his best friend was still somewhere in the world, waiting for him to come jumping into her arms once again.

Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

_Dance in the silent meadows, down by the road_

Snap, snap.

_Dance, little rolling child, waltz away back home._

Clap, snap.

_Your feet are no longer heard, your words scratch away._

Clap, boom.

_In your mind wanders helpless beings to stay._

Snap, Snap.

_Now we prance far from darkness_

Clap, clap.

_And we fear the names of home._

Boom, snap.

_Because we stare in the eyes of wild._

Clap, clap.

_Oh, waltz on home, little rolling child._

* * *

Jacob Willis had finished signing the release of yet another patient. His doctors had helped someone else live another day. Jacob was always uncertain as to why someone would want to take their own lives away, when there were so many precious things to look forward to. Of course, he erased the thought out of his head quickly upon remembering that he should not question the behaviour of others. After all, Jacob Willis had always lives such a happy and content life. He had a loving wife, three successful children, food, a magnificent home, and friends galore. The mere thought of any of those things being taken from him created an odd pit in the centre of his stomach in which he never had the decency of discovering.

"Excuse me? Mr. Willis? May I come in?"

"Ah, Harriet! No, that's wrong... Bunny right? Please do!"

The joyful young woman entered the impressive office with her usual smile shadowing across her face. She nodded her head in a quick greeting manner, and lowered her thin body onto one of the maroon chairs facing Jacob's desk, taking a quick gander at the room before snapping her eyes back at her boss.

"Good day, sir. I came to talk to you about... Uh. I don't even know what to call her."

"Direct as always, Bunny. I believe you're talking about the young lady we've had join us two weeks ago?"

"Yes. The amnesiac. I'm having quite the difficult time with her..."

Jacob leaned back in his chair with a frown, studying Bunny's face intently. "You, Bunny? You're one of my best doctors. Surely you've gotten _something_ out of her."

"Well," Bunny mumbled, scratching the back of her neck. "She only says 2 words. And that's all. 'Will be'. If you try talking to her, she merely shrugs. Doesn't even shake her head or nod. And what worries me is that she doesn't seem frightened or confused in any way. The other amnesiacs I've dealt with show obvious signs of panic, anxiety, intense confusion, and struggle to escape. It's as if she _knows_ who she is, but just can't respond when talked to."

"Will be?" Jacob asked in a whisper. This was certainly strange. He'd run the institution for nearly 40 years, and had never heard of such symptoms in a patient before. And a young, beautiful lady who can only speak two words, and isn't frightened of anyone coming near her, at that? It was certainly strange.

"Bunny," he said in a stern voice, straightening his back and staring menacingly in the young woman's eyes. Bunny shifted nervously in her seat. She had always disliked the way he would do that, it felt as if he were eating her soul out.

"You say she says only those two words, and she is unable to speak. Perhaps she is trying to say something else, and is unable to."

"So... kind of like a speech impediment?"

"Yes and no. Here's what I want you to do. Forget trying to make her remember things. Teach her how to speak. If she shows signs of inability to speak other words properly, we know what's wrong. It's a step closer to her recovery."

Bunny rose up from her seat and nodded. "Understood. Thanks, Jay!"

And with the she bolted out of his office eagerly, leaving Jacob with a rather phony grin plastered on his face.

She reminded him of his own daughter.


	5. Chapter 5

Even after _almost_ getting used to the daily waking patterns, early morning sunlight shining on Edward's face was always a terrible waking call for him. He'd dread every moment, pulling the blanket up over his face, just to have it torn off of him by Alphonse.

The routine was the same for the younger Elric. Wake up, make breakfast, make sure Edward was _really_ awake, review lecture notes, attend his university courses, and run down to the bar for his night shift with Spencer. He was happy, really. It kept him busy throughout the day. Some weekends, he and his brother would even go out to see a play, or have dinner or just a casual stroll in the empty night time streets. One night, on one of said night time strolls, Alphonse was stricken with a rare case of nostalgia, opening the doorway for his mind to wander. Edward, being quite the wanderlust himself, realized this in almost no time at all, breaking the mind wandering road for his brother.

"Something troubling you Al?"

"Huh? Oh... No, not at all, Brother."

Edward raised his eyebrows, sighing. The look on his face fully unclothed Alphonse's lie, sending a shameful shiver down his back.

"I was thinking about Risembool. Remember those festivals?" Alphonse chuckled. "Mr. Markel would always bring his cows down and host those funny milking contests. He gave each winner a free jug of milk, and took the rest back himself! You'd always refuse to take part, saying that he only did it for his own benefit, even though we all knew you only did it because of your hatred for milk!"

"Well, what else could I do? Mom would always be with us, and she'd get upset if I said I didn't like it..." Edward confessed, his cheeks tinted pink, but the grin on his face did not waver a bit.

"You really didn't like seeing Mom angry, did you?"

"Why would I?"

Alphonse shrugged, and the two continued their walk in silence. The weather had finally seemed to grow warmer, and over time, the brothers knew the spring flowers would be in bloom.

* * *

"Hey, Bunny! Whoa you don't look so good."

Edward had just finished his introductory session with a new client, which had been unfortunately unsuccessful. The boy had been blunt and downright _rude_. Edward himself had the patience of a rugrat, leaving him achy and frustrated afterwards. The little punk. What better way to ease out the pain than a chat with his new, jumpy, overly enthusiastic friend?

"Oh, hey, Ed." Bunny mumbled with a flimsy smile. "I'm just a bit stressed is all. I need a new outline strategy for my focus patient."

"Focus patient?"

The brunette nodded with a groan, readying herself for an explanation in which she was far too tired to do. "My main patient, basically. I spend most of my time with her, and her case is a bit more serious than most in the short-term wing."

"Oh, yeah?" The golden eyed man welcomed himself a seat next to the tense woman with a smile. "Well, why don't you tell me a little about her? Maybe it'll help relieve the stress!"

Bunny's face immediately lit up, and her back snapped up straight, surprising Edward. In all honesty, he didn't think it was possible for someone's back to do such a thing. _Gross._

"Oh, thanks, Ed! I thought no one would ask." She breathed, speaking quicker than ever. "She's quite the oddball. She's completely lost all her memory, an amnesiac. She can't even speak. Her knowledge of the alphabet is scarce, barely compatible with the normal adult brain. She has occasional meltdowns that sometimes result in panic attacks. But what confuses me is that she doesn't seem... afraid of danger."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

Bunny rubbed her forehead, attempting to find the right words. She was silent for a few seconds, a faint sound vibrating from the back of her throat. What _did_ she mean? "I've dealt with... A number of amnesiacs that have similar symptoms as she does. All of them appeared petrified of anyone who got too close to them, physically speaking. But this girl... The first time I met her, she looked at me as if she'd known me before. As if there was something there at the back of her mind that was pulling her close to me."

Upon hearing this, Edward felt his chest being lit from the inside. It was in the same way as if excitement was bubbling up, although he was unsure why. Nonetheless, he found himself impatiently waiting for the continuation of Bunny's talk. "What's her name?"

"That's another thing." She replied, lowering her head, looking practically defeated. "She knows how to say only two words. And she only says them when I ask for her name. It doesn't even make sense!"

The blonde haired boy shot a confused look at the brunette. "And... they are? What are they?"

"Will be."

"What?"

"Will be. That's it. Will be. Will. B-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it!" Edward scoffed, flicking his wrist at her. "And how about her hobbies? What does she like to do?"

Bunny rubbed her forehead again, this time looking as if she were trying to hold back a grin.

"She likes finger painting. She paints really... odd things. Like a dog, but he's always missing an arm. She just doesn't paint it. Or those few times, I remember, she painted some sort of logo? It was like a cross and a squiggle... Hah, maybe she was a preacher!" Bunny laughed, rising up from her seat. A cross with a squiggle? That sounded an awful lot like...

"Oh, and this other time," Bunny called, walking away slowly. "she drew this thing that looked like a zeppelin. Crazy, right?"

* * *

Each passing day, another line of her memory returns. But very vaguely. By the time she would be able to see a single clear picture, she'd have died six times over.

Picture. Picture.

The dog was black and white. Head...eye...eye...arm...ar- No. That was wrong. His other arm wasn't like this one. But how was it? Ugh, just forget it.

Misses Doctor should be here soon, anyway. She should clean up before she makes her mad again. Misses Doctor seemed so busy and sad lately. It troubled her to watch. Maybe cleaning up a little would make her happy. Yes. She would clean up, just to make Misses Doctor happy.

Droplets tickle her fingers as pretty colours wash away down the drain along with the flowing water of the tap. It reminds her of rainbows. She remembered seeing one just this morning. It was reflected onto her bed from the window. It was so close to her, but when she tried reaching out to grab hold of it, the small rainbows simply evaded and shone on her pale skin instead. No matter how hard she tried, she never got the chance to grasp that rainbow. It broke her heart to see something so beautiful and so close to her just slip away like that.

Slip away. Slip away.

And another line was etched into her mind.

"W...ait. Wait."

For her.

* * *

**A.N:  
**Sorry if this chapter isn't as great. I just realized I hadn't updated in a few days. I wrote this at around 11 p.m, so spare with me :$ Feedback! Give it to me!


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N:** Alright, I know, I know, I haven't updated in about 3 months now. It's only because I got literally close to ZERO feedback. I'm only 15 (almost 16), guys, I have a long way to go in order to become a pro writer. And in order to achieve that goal, I'll need feedback. Tell me if you love it, tell me if you hate it, tell me if you want to cuddle with it by the fire and bake it cookies with the colourful sprinkles you buy from Timmies or Dunkin Donuts. A huge thanks to jaclynkaileigh, though, for motivating me to finish this chapter, once and for all. (: Greatly appreciated! **GIVE ME FEEDBACK.**

* * *

Jacob Willis had always had keen eyes for observation. He was memorized the faces of each doctor by heart, making sure not to leave a single syllable of their names out of his mind. He knew of each of their personalities, what they enjoyed and how they enjoyed it. Especially Bunny, considering the fact that she was one of the few doctors who had stayed at the institution for as long as she had. Nevertheless, the woman seemed chip and joyful each and every day, smacking smiles down on each of her colleagues' faces. She and Edward Elric had befriended one another, and the young lad seemed keen on the idea of lifting the skinny woman's spirit. Anyone could tell that for the past few weeks, Bunny had been smashed down by a horde of melancholies due to her difficult patient. It surprised Jacob to think that there was such a patient that was capable of bringing such a talented young doctor down. And everyone knew, Jacob Willis liked his people _happy_. So, for Bunny's sake and Bunny's sake only, Jacob decided that day, on the 14th of June, to pay a visit to the patient himself, proving to Bunny that she had narrowly failed in her request not to bother him.

At first encounter, Jacob Willis found it hard to keep a proper composure, for more reasons than one. For one thing, the girl was absolutely stunning. Her blonde hair was just the right shade, her eyes like little pieces of the sky, and her alabaster skin a radiant porcelain tint. She sat with a slump, and her head shyly looking upwards at him. She would occasionally rub her forearms together in nervousness, focusing her eyes on every part of the room except for the man standing before her. And lastly, no matter what Jacob said, no matter how utterly hilarious his jokes were, her face remained, in literal sense, still as a sentinel rock among canyons.

"What did you say your name was, dear?"

"Will be." The girl replied almost immediately, her head still somewhat lowered. Despite this, Jacob could just make out her broad smile that stretched from ear to ear. Proud of his accomplishment, the old man scanned the room, in search of something- anything!- to continue her speech.

"That sure is a pretty picture, sweetie. Lovely little mutt he is."

Her eyebrows twitched upon the word 'mutt', however, the girl remained silent, giving a gentle shrug in reply.

"Ah... Ahem... Hmm... Well, what can you tell me about this picture here?" Jacob asked, fishing out a sheet of watercolour paper, busied with a dash of colours outlining a large city skyline, and what seemed to be a silhouette standing atop the buildings. There seemed to be explosions on the ground below, and odd looking hovercrafts across the sky. Jacob Willis was suddenly taken aback from this picture, a cool breeze snaking up his spine. What is this girl thinking? Who is she? And in Jacob's sheer horror, the girl finally looked up at him, with the same smile as before.

"Wait..."

* * *

Small burnt crumbs fell on the marble slab floor as Edward dashed towards the cafeteria. He had grabbed a half-burnt piece of toast before leaving the house, only to realize its state after finishing half of it. The other doctors and nurses gave him peculiar looks as he dashed by, whispering quietly to themselves with occasional giggles. He didn't care. Bunny should be on break right about now, and he had promised her another 'therapy' session. Quite frankly, the amber eyed boy felt pleased with his efforts as a therapist. Only a few weeks in, and he was curing an elite doctor! Who would've thought?

And, as usual, he found Bunny slumped against a table, her head resting comfortably on her arms with a tired look on her face. But something was different today. The moment she caught a glimpse at Edward, her spine snapped back up (it horrified Edward, really. How can a human body do that?) ,and she was on her feet with her two fists on her hips.

"You're late, Elric!"

Edward raised an eyebrow. On second thought, maybe she didn't need his help anymore.

"You're looking... fully recovered."

Bunny threw her head back and laughed her loud, obnoxious laugh, sending echoes throughout the entire cafeteria. "Well, Jacobs been taking over a few of my shifts for misses creeps-a-lot! It's really helped with the sleep, y'know?"

"Oh, yeah? Well hey, that's nice of him. Make sure the geezer doesn't overload himself, he looks like he'll croak any day..."

"Edward! Don't say that!" Bunny cried, flailing her arms over her head. "Mr. Willis is very important to me! He's like a second dad!"

"Ah..! S-Sorry! Hey, don't hit me!"

Despite Bunny's sudden outburst of energy, the two resumed their daily routine. Bunny went on and on about her life in which Edward should have been an expert on by now, and Edward resumed only paying half his attention to her words, and the other half on his annoying schedule. A 6 a.m start just for one patient, and his next wasn't for another 4 hours. He missed his old job of helping the Heiderich boy with his rockets. The old thought of his late friend bound a knot deep within his chest. That boy truly did resemble his brother in more ways than one.

"Ahem."

The pair jumped from their seats from the sudden sound, just as the cheerful sound of laughter came from behind them. Their eyes met with Mr. Willis' kind face, along with his obnoxious laughter. _What the hell does he think is so funny?_

"Ah, you kid's never seem to give me a break!" He laughed.

"Mr. Willis!" Bunny exclaimed. "What's up? Do you need something?"

In an instant, as it had happened before, Jacob's face went from cheerful and joyous to grim and serious. Edward and Bunny's expressions crumbled along. "Yes. I need to chat with you, Harriet." His eyes narrowed over to Edward, and the golden eyed boy jumped a second time as a shiver ran down his spine. "And don't you think about following us, Elric."

And with that, along with a concerned look from Bunny, the two were off. Don't follow them, huh? A sly smirk crept its way across Edward's face.

"He might as well have just given me a written invitation!" Edward snickered.

* * *

"Jacob, I've known you longer than most people here, so I know that you never use my real name unless I'm either in trouble, or there's something terribly serious going on."

Jacob Willis said nothing, and instead gestured to the empty seat in front of her desk. Bunny nodded and plopped down, her heart pounding against the walls of her chest. Jacob joined her soon after, barely closing the door.

"Eh...? Jake? Aren't you going to close the door all the way?" Bunny whispered. Again, Jacob said nothing, but simply stared at the mahogany of his desk for a short while, and then back at the woman in front of him.

"This girl. Have you given her a name?"

"I... Uh. I'm sorry?"

"A name."

Bunny was taken aback, as her eyes narrowed at the old man, almost as if she were offended. "With all due respect, Mr. Willis, that girl isn't a dog for me to name her. If I were to give her one, she would completely forget her old name and simply stick with her given one. Her current state is bad enough as is, we really have to be careful of what we say and do with her."

Jacob smiled at Bunny's initiative. Leaning back in his chair he let out a deep breath.

"And this response she gives every time you ask her of said name... it was...?"

Bunny raised an eyebrow. Shouldn't he have known this by now? "She doesn't say her name. She simply stated that she would remember soon."

"No, Bunny. What does she say when you ask her for her name?"

Bunny was once again puzzled by her superior's questions. "W...Will be, sir. Will be."

Jacob nodded, and his smile spread wider. "I spent four sessions with her, Bunny. Each time, I asked her for her name, and she gave me the same answer. She seemed to get more and more irritated each time, so at least we aren't dealing with any Goldfield Syndrome of any sort."

_Thank God,_ Bunny thought to herself. The last case of Goldfield Syndrome she has dealt with gave her an unsatisfying response, as she watching in pity as the patient's life went on and on with repeat, day after day. She hoped she wouldn't have to see anyone go through something like that ever again.

"Nonetheless, perhaps there's something we've overlooked."

"Oh? Continue."

"Based on her finger-paintings, it's obvious she isn't brain dead. She thinks. She feels. She understands. She just... doesn't remember."

"I understand." Bunny whispered. "Do you think that maybe... she speaks based on sounds, Mr. Willis?"

Jacob was now grinning at the young girl, who seemed to have become his pride and joy. "Well done, Harriet. That's exactly what I'm saying. The tune or rhythm of her name ties into those two words somehow."

Bunny rubbed her chin, her eyebrows arching downwards as her mind wandered off into thought. "A name that has the same tune as 'will be'? Jenny? Keely? Winnie?"

"Winry..."

Bunny jumped from her seat for the second time that day, releasing a small 'YELP!', and spinning around. There, in the doorway stood Edward Elric, his face pale as a ghost, and his fists tightly clenched. Jacob smiled to himself quietly. Curiosity killed the cat.


	7. Chapter 7

_These... are fake. _She silently thought to herself. That kind old doctor had brought in a vase of flowers during his last visit. Although they weren't as pretty as the inevitable ones she and her mother had picked, she still appreciated the man's kindness. But to her utter dismay, the flowers had no scent, and their petals felt rough and fabric-like, almost like sandpaper. Not appealing at all, not to mention quite disappointing. Not that she could blame him. Real flowers did, after all, die extremely quickly when picked. She sighed and moved from her paint splattered desk to the window overlooking the streets of London. A foggy mist blanketed the morning sky, looming over most of the taller structures, a common sight in the city. It looked as if half of the buildings had been bitten into by a beast. Such a thought usually frightened her, regardless of how fascinated she was by the cathedrals and clock tower. On the roads were several cars moving to and fro among a swarm of citizens chatting and tripping along the way. Most were business men who had little to no time in the world, while others were paperboys and beggars who seemed to have, quite contrarily, all the time in the world. Seeing this from the eyes of what one mind consider to be a prisoner, they all seemed to be so... free. How she longed to be among them. The outside world seemed so vast from the tiny room she was held in. She wanted to befriend a real person; she wanted to eat apple pie and biscuits in a real cafe, she wanted to feel outdoor air on her skin. But alas, she could do none of those things. She was incapable of talking, let alone befriending. Her food diet was properly monitored, giving her the privilege of only one sweet per week. And the air in her small room was drafty and dusty, giving her only enough oxygen to breathe along with cold shivers. There was a word for this, if only she could remember. She'd felt this before, time and time again. It was something that bound a knot in her chest and made her stomach quake. It made her want to release waterfalls from her eyes, even though sometimes, she'd be stuck in a drought with nothing to release but her own silent screams. She would be angry, upset, confused... Oh, yes. That's right. She was lonely. A lonely prisoner. Has she ever been someone special, she wondered. Had she had someone who cared about her? Was, or better yet_ is_, she a good person? Did she do good things for others? There wasn't anything inside her that told her she hadn't. So why? Why does she feel so lonely? Misses Doctor told her that good things happen to good people.

So did that mean she was bad?

"Will be... bad?"

* * *

"_Noah!_" Kain cried, dashing into the living room in response to a loud _thump_. Noah had been suffering unusual migraines since early in the morning. It had happened at her first encounter with Edward, and once again when Alphonse entered her universe. Ominous waves would upset her nerves, resulting in the young Rom falling ill for several days. On a regular occurrence, simple meditation and breathing techniques would calm her of the nerve wracking visions and terrible migraine. However, ever since _then, _she'd vowed never to trust in her visions ever again. No matter how much the Elrics tried to convince her, a small part of Noah would still be poking at her from the insides, whispering in a hostile voice, "it's your fault. You did it." As a Rom, people had called her appalling things since she was not a part of the gaje community. Her kind had lived through years of oppression, and as a young child, she had learned to cope with such difficulties. However, never had anyone called _her _a _murderer. _And the worst part is, no one had. She had convinced herself such a deliberation. And that just made things that much more difficult.

"Noah? Noah, are you alright?" Kain whined desperately. Noah whined back in response, tilting her head back for a few moments before she felt the blood rushing back to her face. Her hand gripped tightly on Kain's arm as she rubbed her right temple with her two fingers, easily steadying her breathing.

"Aye, Kain. I'll be fine."

"You should be more careful!" He cried. "You could have really hurt yourself! These dizzy spells are getting a little out of hand, we need to get you a doctor somehow!"

Noah whined one more time, but this time, it was more out of annoyance than pain. "Listen to yourself, silly man. You know I can't do that. There are still many people against my kind."

"But I can't just let you get hurt because of some ignorant twats!" Kain growled between clenched teeth. Noah's face lit up with a smile.

"If only everyone were like you..." She whispered soothingly, as her fingers ran through her lover's hair. Kain smiled and nuzzled his nose against her cheek, breathing in her alluring scent. Gently, she felt herself being picked up and carried away by two strong, yet tender, arms. Kain's lips gently brushed against the nape of her neck as he walked, silently murmuring loving words to his beloved. But even at this beautiful moment, Noah's mind was in two places at once. One being right there with Kain, the love of her life, and the second, observing the beautiful blonde figure dancing in the playground of her mind. _She seems fond of the swings..._

* * *

_I've always hated reality. It was always too boring, too... normal. I wanted magic, I wanted adventure! I was meant to achieve, not wait. I could perfectly remember my younger self, spending hours locked inside my room, studying my biology textbooks, memorizing every tendon and nerve of the human anatomy. As a break, I would zone out and imagine a scene in which I, Harriet Bourden, child genius and world famous hero, would save a person's life, and everyone would come to respect and love me. Naturally, I grew up, and that dream was no more. Yet, I still waited for my fairy tale. But I never expected what really happened. _

_He knew I was lying. He knew it all along. I figured it out as soon as he called me into that wretched office of his. "Yes, I need to chat with you Harriet", he says. "It's just a chat, Harriet", he says. A bunch of stinky dross, I tell you. I didn't want to tell him, or anyone else for that matter. But what I'm thankful for is the fact that he doesn't know yet. He doesn't know, what I really saw that night. My husband had to wake early the next day to visit his father down in the southern part of Kent, so I couldn't tell him. The neighbours would think I was just as bonkers as she, so I couldn't let them find out. But that girl, she appeared out of _nowhere._ A light, an odd pattern on the ground where she lay. And as soon as I touched her, a voice, which I swore was my own, whispered 'protect her'. Sure, I was confused, sure I was incredibly perplexed. But I also felt... amazing. I finally got what I wanted. I finally got everything I should ever need. I got magic, mystery, and yet... Why was I still unsatisfied? Good things happen to good people, who were to say this fate was bad? It wasn't until much later that I realized that my judgment regarding my superiority in the world was nothing but an immaculate misconception. I'm no god. I'm a regular doctor, who couldn't even save a little girl._

* * *

**A.N: **Shit just got reeeeeeeeeeal.

Aha, anyways, SORRY FOR THE DELAY! But honestly, thank you guys so much for the reviews. They really helped me out :D I'm glad I could be able to continue this story. And I know what you guys are thinking, "WHEN ARE ED AND WINRY GOING TO SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN? WHAT HAPPENED IN AMESTRIS THAT SCARRED EVERYONE SO MUCH? SO MANY QUESTIONS!" But my answer is... _you'll seeeeee. (;_

_**ALSO THIS IS AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOTE SO PLEASE READ.**_

I did some research, and apparently, the term 'gyspy' was an offensive and oppresive nickname the Gajes (non-Roms) gave the Roms/Romas back in the day. So basically, 'Rom' is what the people referred to themselves as. I'm extremely sorry if I didn't do my research beforehand, but it's better to fix your mistake later than never, right? Again, I sincerely apologize, and hopehopehope that I didn't offend anyone ):

_**AGAIN, FEEDBACK FEEDBACK FEEDBACK! I NEED REVIEWS! Mwah (:**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N: **okiee this chapter is a little long, but its (one) of the moments you've all been waiting for. Find out what happened in Amestris, along with one of Bunny's darkest secrets! I'm not very fond of this chapter, but I realized I hadn't updated in a while, so I edited this as much as I could to make it as good as possible.

_**ALSO.**_I was a little disappointed with how many reviews the last chapter got! Only 3 people reviewed. I want you all to give me a little SOMETHING. Anything. It'll be greatly appreciated. (:

* * *

People say some days are better than others. But Edward just didn't care anymore. He wanted out. He wanted Amestris; he wanted his old life back. He wanted _her_ back. It was all child's play, but what more could anyone expect from a man in his mid 20s whose never known a childhood? There were so many things he wanted, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do anything about it. Edward was usually the kind of person who got up and got things done. But now, after everything he's been through, after all he's seen, anyone would agree it was time for that little angel to come down and do all his dirty work for him. He wanted a break. The world just needed to shut up and stay still for a second.

And on top of all that, Mr. Willis' constant nagging of "Where did you get that odd name from" was really starting to snip away at Edward's last nerve. It was just a coincidence, damn it. It just slipped from his mouth, damn it. Sure, he was mentally traumatized, but he wasn't stupid. He was a child prodigy, for Pete's sake. He had seen his fair share of blood, and the kind oozing from his best friend's beautiful body was no hoax. It was real. Does everyone understand?

It. Was. Real. Winry was _dead._ And it was his entire fault.

All she wanted to do was say goodbye. She just wanted to wish him well. That's all she's ever wanted to do. But Edward was so caught up in scolding Noah for following him that he completely forgot about the person he should've been paying attention to the most. And what was worst was the fact that Alphonse had to be the first person to see it happen. That poor, young boy who's only wanted nothing more than a tightly bound family, once and for all. Nothing was going as planned for either of them.

Noah didn't get to live in her haven in which nobody discriminated her for her race.

Edward didn't return to Amestris once and for all.

Alphonse didn't get his family back.

And Winry. All she got was a piece of skeletal structure metal stuck through her body. And that was the end. He had no control over his body anymore, and his sight kept wavering annoyingly. He could barely see where he was going, his legs were simply moving aimlessly. But the moment his knees hit the ground with a thud, his eyesight also adjusted in place. How he wished they hadn't.

Before the blonde alchemist lay his best friend, her eyes expanded to the size of her head, while silent whimpers escaped from her mouth. From her eyes spilled lone waterfalls, pooling around her body along with the red sea draining from her body, and her face was drenched with sweat. For a few moments, Edward simply sat there, staring at her body. What should he do?

Should he touch her? No, she's already in enough pain.

Should he say something? Quite frankly, he doubted his possession of a tongue at that moment.

Should he remove the jagged pole? She'd die instantly, either from the pain or the blood loss.

Thoughts whirred and whizzed inside Edward's mind. At first, he thought it was still just the sounds of mechanics, sawing away at glimmering sheet metal, sanded to the final inklings of its strength. Only Truth knew how many times he'd come across those sounds throughout his life. Edward surprisingly found himself longing for the annoyance, anything to keep his mind occupied. But he would hear those noises no more. And in that moment, he realized all the things he had that he'd never learned to cherish. He'd been too occupied with convincing himself that he needed nothing but his brother.

But he had perfectly functional limbs. Fake, but helpful none the less.

He had a perfectly wonderful family. Not biological, but loving none the less.

He had all these strangers helping him. Not all of them were necessarily considered friends, but they had saved both the Elrics none the less.

He had a girl he had been denying his love for because of the sake of his own selfish purposes. She wasn't always the calmest girl around, but she was there for him none the less. She supported him none the less. Even when he turned on her, she had that back of his none the less. She wasn't a bad person. She was perfect. She did things for others, she stood her ground, and she held no grudges. Edward couldn't even blame his ignorance on his young age. He had no excuses, not even for himself. This was a story he hadn't managed to understand a conclusion for. The former alchemist simply wanted to understand what the whole point of this occurrence was. Was it to prove how utterly selfish he was? Was it to help him cherish all the little things he had in life?

At present, he was seated in a cozy cafe in one of the side road off of the main street. Edward began pouring his story out to Harriet in hopes that she could save him. He really didn't care whether or not she believed him. He needed someone to know who he really is, or was. However, Bunny said nothing as he spoke. She simply traced the brim of her coffee mug, the background music of the cafe cancelled out from her ears. After Edward finished speaking, her position didn't change. She remained as is, appearing to have taken an odd interest in the now cold liquid in the mug.

"Harriet," Edward began. She never liked it when people called her by her real name. It meant some sort of trouble. "I don't expect you to believe me, nor do I need you to. I'm just telling you what my life up to this point was. I don't trust you, nor do I claim that I fully understand you. I'm doing this for the benefit of myself, and-"

"You have a tendency of doing that don't you?"

Edward winced, scratching the back of his head. He muttered a silent response in which Harriet had trouble understanding. Finally, after another long pause of silence, the young doctor's fingers seized their glide. Her dark chocolate lips narrowed upward in a smile- no it was a smirk- as she lifted her head to look Edward in the eyes.

"Let's take a walk." And with that, she rose from her seat, and started towards the door. Edward raised an eyebrow. _They're in different worlds, but both Paninya and Harriet are alike when it comes to being weird._ Shrugging his shoulders, Edward meagrely followed behind her, expecting another long, awkward silence before either of them said anything. But to his surprise, the minute they stepped out, Harriet usual motor-mouth snapped into action.

"We'll have to talk casually, so nobody thinks we're psychos. And don't make a huge deal of what I'm going to say."

Edward snorted. "After all I've seen, I doubt anything you say could possibly make me freak out."

"I wouldn't be so sure." Bunny replied, raising a hand to signal an oncoming car to slow down. The man's scrunched up face could be seen from behind his window. The blasted driver sped up faster, sending a large gust of wind to come and slap the pair straight in the face. Bunny quietly cursed under her breath as they continued on their way across the street, and towards a quiet park nearby. _Who the hell is he making that face at._

"I won't say I believe you." Bunny's sudden voice made Edward jump. The chocolate skinned woman snickered quietly as Edward fumed. "But I won't say I think you're pulling my leg either. Maybe about a few months ago, I would've flat out smacked you across the face for thinking me a fool, but..." Harriet trailed off and drew in a deep breath, contemplating whether or not she should really share her story with Edward. The golden eyed boy's eyes shook with anxiety, not a hint of sham. Looks could be deceiving, but Harriet decided to trust him. After the story she's heard from him, the pieces were slowly starting to fit together.

"A few months ago, I came across a girl in the back alley way near my home." She started.

"It was an experience unlike any other! I was throwing my garbage bags out late at night. It was around 12:45 a.m. My husband had already gone to sleep, and I had just remembered that the garbage would be taken the next day. So, as tired as I was, I dragged myself out of the house to pitch a bag of... trash. Worthless...trash.

But as I was just turning to leave, something caught my eye. It was like... lightning- no electricity, yes electricity- was coming out of the ground. And oddly enough, a strange girl emerged from the blue lights, and plopped down, unconscious. In place of the weird lights beneath her was an even weirder pattern. There was a large circle, with a pentagon in the middle. At each point of the pentagon were smaller circles, and unusual lettering around the brim. After inspecting the circle, my attention drew to the girl. She... She had blonde hair and pale skin. Her eyes were a deep aquatic blue, and she was completely naked. On her stomach was a disgusting scar... And some of the odd letters from the pattern. When I sat her up, the pattern disappeared, and... a voice whispered in my ear to take care of her. It sounded just like my own voice, but a little more... raspy. I dunno... I just knew it was my own voice.

I took her in and gave her some clothes. My husband was pretty upset that I brought a stranger in. She woke up after he left. When I tried to talk to her, she couldn't speak. She didn't know where she was or where she came from. When I asked her for her name, all she could reply was... 'Will be'. I kept her to myself for a few nights, but realized it would be best for her to get professional help... So I took her to the institute. At first, she'd scream and thrash about at the mere sight of anyone who came near her. After a while she started harming herself physically with anything she could find. She had constant panic attacks and severe mental breakdowns." At this point, Harriet's solid voice had become cracked and shaky. Edward even found himself fidgeting a little bit anxiously. The blonde haired boy felt a knot twist in his chest upon hearing the psychical and mental damage that had been inflicted upon the possible Winry.

"After a while, a few doctors sent her to the long term wing. It was getting serious. And, since I was her doctor, I was permitted to join her.

Those first few weeks in the long term wing were some of the worst weeks of my life. I compared her to all the other patients, and in comparison, she was a regular girl. It was petrifying. I had to switch out constantly. There was a tight schedule with the doctors that would visit her, but I was scheduled with the most time. After she got a little more used to her lifestyle, we moved her back to the short term wing.

She tends to enjoy painting a lot. She paints things that she's seen in her past, but doesn't remember entirely, or so I think. She always such a distant look in her eyes... It breaks my heart. I started seeing her to be my younger sister, in a way. I really feel extremely protective of her..."

When Harriet finally finished her story, she drew in a deep breath, and exhaled with relief. Her rickety breaths could still be hears faintly. Silence hung in the air with stillness for a few moments before Edward's voice took it's turn.

"That pattern you were talking about... It's called a transmutation circle." He began, stretching his arms out with a grunt. "A transmutation circle is drawn on a spot where a transmutation is necessary. The outermost circle dictates the flow of power. It represents the cycle of the world's energies. The patterns inside the circle are alchemical runes." He explained. "The runes may vary, and each rune corresponds to a different energy. Depending on what energy rune you use on different matter or materials, your outcome of the transmutation will be different."

Harriet's head throbbed with the unusual knowledge the young man had. Edward threw his head back and chuckled at her face to Harriet's surprise. "Stop laughing!" Bunny whined. The pair's laughter rung throughout the park, drawing an odd crowd of attention. Wiping a tear, Edward's smile remained intact.

"Bunny... can I... See this patient?"

Upon this request, Bunny's spine straightened defensively, and a glob of nothing formed in the pit of her throat. Her uneasiness was slowly crawling back to her body, and he fear of deception grew. "I... don't know, Ed..."

"Harriet, it was my fault Winry died." He whispered. "She died without her life even starting. She was so young... So... young. I just want to see if its the real her. If it is, I'll do everything in my power to give her a new life. A perfect one this time. And if she wants nothing to do with me... I'll leave. I'll never bother her, or you again. I just want to see her, and try to fix things. Just once. You're my only hope, Harriet."

Bunny let out a groan. Edward really did have a way with words. The bastard.

"Only on one condition."

"Name it!" The former alchemist squealed eagerly.

"Show me your false limbs."


	9. Chapter 9

_**A.N:**_Ok yes you hate me I get it. But quite honestly I'm really busy nowadays I barely have any time for writing! . And because of that, this chapter is extremely badly written, I barely editted it at all... So I sincerely apologize. I really really am sorry D:

Anyways, _***~*~~*~~****READ THIS CAUSE ITS IMPORTANT.*~*~~*~**_

**This story (starting this chapter) will be taking on sort of a creepy twist. There is some implications of drugging and molesting (kind of), so if you're uncomfortable with it, then jump down to the second section of this chapter (below the gray tab). (: Enjoy, and leave reviews!**

* * *

"Winry... Dearest Winry..."

This man never believed in darkness in every person's heart. People were good or bad, simple as that. The tinted mist lingering in his, he was sure, was not darkness. Nothing of that sort. Call it curiosity, if you will. Inquisitiveness, interest, nosiness. It was the kind of curiosity that would do more than simply 'kill the cat'. Not this time, no. He wouldn't let this opportunity go to waste. There was too much at stake here. If he could confirm his theories, he would be rich. Not to mention _famous_. He wouldn't need this lifestyle anymore. No, this lifestyle would be no more. He would have everything right at the palms of his hands. People would finally appreciate everything he had done his whole life. He'd show that he'd uncovered secrets beyond imagination. Secrets not even the Thule Society could hold onto. And not only that.

He would have her. She would be all his. This sweet, beautiful young girl would be all his. And he would never let her go. But why would she want to go? He was kind. He was caring. He would... never... let her get hurt. He would never let anyone take her away from him. She was his. And he'd make sure of that.

His eyes lingered her sleeping figure a final time. Her usual plain white shirt had rode up a little, exposing a slight segment of her flesh, just over her belly button. His fingers traced the intriguing pattern that tattooed her slender stomach, a slight sensation bubbling up within his chest. She twitched slightly at his cold touch, but the heavy drugs soon took their toll over her. Her porcelain skin glowed more than usual in the moonlight, it seemed, and her bright yellow hair shone with such brilliance, anyone could have mistaken her for a seraph. Her cheeks were perfectly rounded, and her eyelashes were long, dark and curled. His hands once again found their way to her face, and he tucked stray hairs behind her ears. He needed a clearer view of her face, nothing should interfere. A small gasp escaped his lips at the sight of her sleeping face, figure, and all. Who in their right mind wouldn't want a vixen like this?

He wasn't twisted, and the dark mist within him certainly wasn't darkness. After all, it was perfectly human for someone to be selfish sometimes. Understood? _Perfectly_ human.

"Winry. Winry. Winry."

_Now we prance far from darkness, and we fear the names of home._

_Because we stare in the eyes of wild._

_Oh, waltz on home, little rolling child._

* * *

"One more time!"

"No."

"Please! No one's looking, just-!"

"I said no, Bunny."

"_Come on!_ That was so cool!"

Edward heaved an irritated sigh. He kicked himself mentally for giving into Bunny's constant pleas and threats in order to catch a glimpse of his usually covered automail limbs. The two were on their way towards Al's workplace, as Bunny had reminded Edward that she hasn't met his little brother yet, and that was "simply unacceptable", considering their apparent close friendship. Since when had Edward and Bunny became close friends, not even he knew. Although, the thought of Al meeting Paninya's doppelganger _did_ bring a smile to his face. He could just imagine the younger Elric's mouth dropping down to his knees. Oh, this would be _good._

"E-_eeeeeed_." Bunny whined. "Pleeaaase?"

"Would 'ya shut up?! I should've never showed you!" Edward snapped, his face scrunching together. Bunny nearly fell to the floor laughing in response, only leaving Edward more annoyed. Finally, the golden eyed man scoffed, and mumbled an irritated "Here we are."

As Bunny's laughed gradually died, so did her cheerful expression. She now wore an expression of utter confusion and disgust.

"_This _is where your genius, child prodigal, kind hearted younger brother works?! It looks like one of those stereotypical gangster stops!" And almost immediately, different pictures began popping into Bunny's mind of how this young boy might look. Edward caught onto this quickly, and angrily snapped at the female doctor to stop.

The pair entered the groggy looking bar, only to be greeted by none other than Spencer. And by greeted, that meant having the burly bloke shooting Edward a glare so cold it sent shivers down his spine, and left Bunny halt in her steps, contemplating turning around and running for her life. The young doctor could feel beads of sweat forming across her brows. Quickly swallowing the repulsive glob that had formed in the pit of her throat, she quickly gave the man a shaky smile. Spencer's gaze went from Edward to the young woman, and with a grunt, he turned around and disappeared through the back door.

"What did you do to throw _him _off, huh?" Bunny hissed.

"Why do you always assume I did something?"

"Because you always do! _Duh!_"

A growl escaped the blonde's mouth once more. He was already irritated, and without anything else to bite back and his ego at stake, he grew even more irritated than before.

"Brother? Is that you?"

From behind the counter, a young boy, around 19 maybe 20 years of age, could be seen rubbing his eyes with fatigue. He had captivatingly coloured hair, just the right shade in between golden and chocolaty brown that grew to just below his chin in gentle spikes. His eyes were big and brown, fitted perfectly on his square face. His shoulders were broad, indicating a definite muscular structure. But despite his height and masculine menace, there was an odd vibe that proved how gentle and kind he really was.

This boy was attractive, concluded Bunny.

As for Al, once his eyes creaked open, he felt his heart seize in his chest.

"_Pa-Pa-Pan-?!"_

Edward clutched a nearby table with one hand and his stomach with the other, bending over laughing. Bunny wore a look of utter perplexity, her eyes darting from one Elric to the other.

"_Papapan_? 'Wassat, some sort of alien language from your home world or something?" the doctor muttered. This simply made Edward laugh even harder, and Alphonse turn paler. Wiping a tear, Edward stretched his back with a sly smile plastered across his face.

"Oh, Al, that was hilarious! Hah, you shoulda seen your face!"

Alphonse's mouth opened and closed a few times before he shook his head furiously. The brunette glared at his brother with such intensity, it sent shivers down Bunny's spine.

"Brother! That's...! How does she know about...?! And why...?!"

"She's a fellow doctor at the institute. Al, I think we need to talk. And... Lets invite Noah and Kain down too in about a week or so, why don't we? I kind of miss them."

* * *

The next day was one of the longest Bunny had endured in her entire stay at the institute. Not only had she stayed out late, conversing with Edward and (the oh, so adorable) Alphonse, but she had been scheduled an early morning visit to the young blonde, who seemed to be known as Winry.

Her heels clicked lazily against the smooth floor of the institute as she dragged her feet down the cold morning corridors, and up to the blondie's door. It took only two gentle knocks before Bunny heard the young girl's gentle "huh?" from inside. She gently placed her keys into the lock and to her utter confusion, the door swung open, revealing the started blonde girl seated on her bed, wrapping her thin under sheet around her.

"What in the name of...?" the doctor mumbled quietly. The apparent Winry cocked her head to the side with a concerned look on her face. _I could've sworn I locked up last night..._ Bunny shook her head and smiled brightly at the young girl.

"G'mornin', sweets!" she exclaimed, closing the door behind her and latching the lock shut. The blonde's face lit up in a wide grin. "Hi!"

Bunny chuckled happily. "More words coming to you, huh? What are you doing there?"

Apparent Winry shoved a paint-splattered piece of paper at the young doctor happily. It seemed to be a little yellow house seated on an isolated hill, overlooking a rural countryside. It seemed almost identical to what Alphonse had described to her last night. Bunny smiled quietly to herself. It seemed like such a fairy tale, their world. The brunette's eyes slowly met the girl's blue ones.

"Say, you're not too shabby at crafting up structural figures. Have you done something like this before?"

The blonde's joyful face crumbled slightly, wanting desperately to give an answer.

"It's alright, dear. Don't pressure yourself! Take as long as you need to figure things out, alright?"

Apparent Winry's face lit up once again in a wide smile, as she dipped her index finger into some yellow paint, and pecked Bunny's nose with it. The doctor stuck her tongue out and crossed her two eyes, sending the blonde into a fit of giggles at her silly face. The music of their laughter filled the empty void in the drafty room, radiating outdoors and onto the morning streets. Autumn was nearing its end, it seemed, and the smell of smoked bacon and grinded coffee beans tickled their noses mockingly. Early birds could be heard moving to and fro between the markets and bakeries, looking more foot lose and fancy free than ever. The blonde felt a still yearning in her heart for such freedom, but in her moment with her newest friend, she felt happiest and safest.

Their undersized moment of fun was soon interrupted by the click of the lock once more, as Mr. Willis bounded into the small cell-like room. His face had its usual rosy tint and his eyes the usual kind twinkle.

"Harriet! How wonderful to see you!" Jacob exclaimed, his usually smile dancing willfully across his face.

"Mr. Willis! I'm really sorry for making you go through so much trouble, taking my night shifts. I'll get right down to it starting today!"

"That's what I like to hear! And remember... you might want to make a check out on our... theory as you may call it."

Bunny swallowed a nervous lump in the pit of her throat and chuckled. "R...Right." With a nod of his head, the old man left the room once again.

_Great... And how am I supposed to tell her what her name is? Oh, hey. Your names Winry ain't it? Ain't it? Eh? Ehh? _

"Will be...?"

"Oh! Sorry! So how about another picture? Let's do it together!"

The blonde girl nodded her head excitedly. The doctor began twisting the lids off of the paint bottles, and setting the brushes up on the wide canvas before them. The young girl cocked her head to the side upon noticing the odd expression on her doctor's face. "Will be...?"

"It's nothing. It's just... I didn't know Jake had the key to your room. Oh well."


	10. Chapter 10

**A.N: Okay I'm sorry about the lack of updates, but I'm really trying okay . This story's getting a little difficult to write effectively, I'm a bit overwhelmed D: But it's slowly reaching an interesting point, and you all might be in for a surprise. Again, I'm sorry for lack of updates/poor writing .**

"You have to get out of there! Please!"

Noah could feel the back of her eyeballs beginning to sting as hot tears of desperation formed in them. The appalling ball of nothingness at the pit of her throat caused her voice to grow husky and tired, but her breathing remained heavy and quick. Her shoulder blade had popped several times due to her overly outstretched arm, and she felt a light headed feeling washing over her from the pain. But she couldn't stop now. Beads of sweat trickled down her brow and sank into her salty tears, ignoring the throbbing in her left temple. Somehow, somewhere in hear heart, she knew this wasn't real. But then again, everyone yearns for second chances, and Noah opted not to make herself believe this was a lie.

"Please! Take my hand, please!" Noah cried. "Please, please, _please_ I'm begging you, you can do it!"

Below her, in the deep, tarred ditch filthied with debris and broken aircraft bits, stood a slender figure of a young woman, sobbing quietly with her arms limp at her sides. Her blonde hair that was once gloriously coloured sunshine yellow was now dull and messy. Her normally porcelain skin was bruised purple and blue with cuts and burns circling around her arms, and ashy soot nestled at the nape of her neck. Her clothes were ripped and bloody, and her knees quivered with exhaustion. Although her head was hung downwards, Noah could make out her monotonous looking eyes that were once so full of life. Purple bags took refuge beneath the two blue orbs, and it pained Noah to think that what had once been a dominant storm within them was now a mere puddle, stepped in by whomever and whatever, forgotten. It seemed like 'forgotten' was a good word to describe a lot of aspects of this girl. It looked as if her hands had remained untouched by affection for a long time, the hangnails and cracked skin giving an unwelcoming vibe. It was almost as if they were insisting on remaining untouched. Such hands that help others, gave life, it is such a shame.

Around her, smoke enveloped the air, and the fires licked the ground and whatever remnants of buildings that were left. The flare was slowly inching its way towards the blonde standing slumped among the debris. It seemed as if she either couldn't hear Noah, who was looming just overhead, or she had completely given up on the thought of survival.

"Take my hand! You have to live! I'm sorry for what happened to you but please! Do not make me live with this again! Please!" Noah's face was now drenched and tight from the waterfall of tears. Her face burned from ache, but still, the young woman simply stood there, hiccupping occasionally.

_She won't take my hand! I don't care what it takes; I am saving that girl this time!_ With a grunt, Noah lunged herself down next to the blonde. Her heart was now beating violently in her chest as she struggled to stand up from within the wreckage, scraping and bruising her legs in the process. A gasp escaped her lips as she caught a glimpse of the girl before her. Her face was expressionless, only solemn tears running down her face as her bottom lip would be occasionally sucked in with the sobs escaping her throat. She looked just about ready to collapse and die, worrying Noah and causing her to stretch her arms out again towards her, ignoring the slight cracking noise that came from her shoulders.

"Don't touch."

The sudden voice made the Roma jump. Her voice was grave, almost sinister, as she stretched the 'o'. Noah could've sworn she had sung that demand rather than simply saying it.

"Don't act like you care... You just pity me. You don't even know me. But you had something to offer, so they took you. You shouldn't trust them. They'll do you the same way they did me. They'll take what you have to give, and leave..."

"You don't really mean that!" Noah cried. "You love those two boys! They appreciated you! They loved you! You must believe that!"

A silence hung lonely in the air. It was the kind of silence that urged you to shout, but had seemingly stolen your tongue. A thieving silence, it was, and the blonde took the opportunity to levitate her head upwards to the sky, that was dark red by that time.

"Tired... of waiting. Wait, wait, wait... _Jussst to waaatch them leave_... Death is inevitable... I would have become a flower sooner or later... Loneliness is a flower... I was never a perfect pretty girl... My knight in shining armor..." The young woman raised her arms, and began skipping away.

"N-no! Wait stop!" The Roma felt frozen, paralyzed in place. She couldn't bring herself to move or call out to the blonde who was skipping emotionlessly away towards the flames. The girl, it was as if she'd gone insane, forgotten who she was and where she belonged.

"_My knight in shining armor... Where, where, where..."_

And in an instant, a spear metal pierced through her midsection, as Noah stood and watched, her head throbbing from the screaming voice.

It took some time to realize it was her own. It didn't sound like herself, though. It sounded like a lie.

* * *

"Sweetheart, what have you been eating lately...?"

Bunny was knelt down beside the blonde haired girl in the dreary bathroom, a clump of yellow hair in her fist, holding it back as the fragile young girl vomited into the toilet. She had been vomiting a lot recently, and it had begun to worry the doctor.

_I hope she isn't skipping meals again... Edward won't be too happy to hear this._

The girl's sudden gasps shook Bunny out of her thoughts. "How are you feeling now, sweetheart?"

Before the blonde could reply, she felt another sickly sensation overflowing from her insides. She let out a loud gagging burp, quickly tilting her head over the toilet seat once again. Bunny groaned and plugged her nose, her own stomach beginning to twist from the scene before her.

"I dun' get it." She babbled. "You hab' a berfectly scheduled diet! This shouldn't be habbenig!"

The blonde's stomach settled finally as her body slumped against the wall in exhaustion. Bunny sighed, finally releasing her nose and dabbing the young girl's face with a wet cloth. Her face was pale and sweaty, and her arms were ridden with goose bumps. She looked incredibly... tired.

_What on earth has happened to her? I should check her out for any illnesses, this could be serious!_ But before Bunny would do anything else, she concluded that she'd first have to flush the toilet, and waft out the disgusting stench of vomit and sweat. _Ugh, man! That is just gross!_

Quickly, she unlatched the bathroom window, allowed a cold draft of wind to envelope the air around them. The young doctor quietly apologized to the shivering girl on the floor, promising this to only be temporary. She then made her way to the cupboards, taking out and removing the cap of scented incense, placing it on the counter next to the sink. As she slowly leaned over to finally flush the disgusting fluids that had taken refuge in the toilet bowl, she noticed the odd colouring and lone bits of _something_ specking within the vomit. Bunny raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Hey, honey, can I ask you something?" The doctor asked, her eyes not leaving the toilet bowl for a second. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the blonde nod a weak 'yes'.

"Was anything new added to your diet lately?"

The blonde's eyes opened slightly as she shook her head.

"Did the food taste different in any way?"

The blonde paused for a moment before shrugging her shoulders slightly in response.

"A little?"

A nod. Bunny flushed the vomit down the toilet and straightened her back, her face wearing an expression of aggravation.

"Will be?"

"I think somebody's been toying with your grub, sweets... And I wanna know who."

After Bunny had finally settled the young blonde into bed and switched off the lights, she began her angry power walk down towards the kitchens. If Edward were to find out about this he'd be furi-

"Hey, Bunny, slow down, would 'ya?"

"Crap..." She muttered under her breath, slowing down her pace. The blonde quickly caught up with a grin plastered on his face.

"Hey, I just released by first patient today! Eh, it wasn't exactly all that big, just a two month long stay with anxiety disorder... But hey it counts right!"

"Oh. Yeah that's great, Ed."

"What's with you? You seem all flustered and in a frenzy."

"Uh, well, y'see I, um, think someone's been messing with my girl."

Edward pounced in front of the young doctor, a worried expression on his face.

"You mean Winry? What happened to her, is she okay? What did they do?"

Bunny held up two hands, signalling the golden eyed man to calm down. "Chill it, Elric! First off, we can't be 100% sure it's Winry yet, it was just an assumption. Secondly, nothing too serious has happened... yet. She's been puking a lot lately, and her vomit was a weird colour today. Almost like she's been fed an overdose of something. I'm just trying to see if it was the kitchens, if you'd allow me."

"Well, maybe if you let me see her, I could-"

"Not happening, Elric!" Bunny snapped.

"Aw, come on Bunny! Just tell me where her room is!"

"And trust you _not_ to go snooping after I leave? Get real!"

Edward blinked as Bunny brushed past him, hurrying her way down the hall. _What the hell was her problem?_

* * *

"Well if it isn't Kain! How's the life, my boy?"

The young man smiled, clearing his throat with a loud '_HEM!_'. The cold winter wind bit at the nape of his neck despite his heavy jacket and the new scarf Noah had knit for him earlier that week. He had stopped by the newspaper stand before taking off for work that day, and the strong scent of tobacco had filled the air yet again. Mr. Markel had just lit his first cigarette of the day, and had sold his tenth newspaper issue. Business was looking well, and Kain couldn't help but envy the rosy tint of his cheeks.

"It's stressful... but I'm- _HEM!- _managing well. And you? How's your son?"

"The boy... I ain't seen him for almost half a year now."

Kain's eyebrows bolted upwards. "Half a year? Why, whatever for?"

The old man's cheeks slowly lost their jolly tint as he shrugged his shoulders in annoyance, handing a young child an issue and accepting his nickel. "Say's he's busy. He don't even call, the boy! And every time I give him a ring, it's the same darn thing. 'Can't talk, Da, duty calls'. Young people nowadays... He's been making lots of trips to Germany lately too. Don't know what business he has there, but he seems to have taken a liking to it.""

Kain threw his head back with a chuckle. "He's probably just too busy with Harriet! Maybe they're planning to have a child now, finally! And besides, it's good for him to travel a little."

Mr. Markel snorted, handing out another issue. "If he's the father, I'm the granddad..."

Kain shifted uneasily in his place before respectively bidding the old man farewell. He didn't have time for other peoples' personal problems right now anyways. Noah had begun having massive migraines lately, and he couldn't afford waiting on it to heal on its own. She had denied all possibilities of psychic impact, and yet, somehow he knew that wasn't entirely true. He had begun wishing she would start trusting him more, and being true to herself. Her spiritual powers were something she couldn't escape from, no matter how hard she wanted to. Kain could only hope he could help her overcome it.

* * *

"Hm? Yes, Bunny what is it?" Jacob asked, a concerned expression on his face.

"Jake, I'm a little worried... The blondie's condition is getting worse." The young doctor whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Jacob groaned, reaching over slowly to pat her on the shoulders.

"There, there, sweetheart. It's nothing to cry over. Everyone gets sick sometimes."

"But the chefs totally denied adding anything in her meals! So who was it? I just don't understand!"

"Harriet, listen to me, everything will be alright. Why don't you go home early tonight? I'll take care of the lass. I don't want you ruining your entire life over this. Now, go home, you. You have someone waiting for you."

"Oh, Jake..." Bunny sighed. "I doubt he'd be home by now anyways. It's as if he prefers his work over me..."

Jacob shook his head slowly. "No, no. Work is busy, and you of all people should know that, Harriet. Now off you go. I promise I'll take excellent care of Blondie."

* * *

_Her head pounded, and her eyelids felt like two anvils rested upon a string of grass. She struggled to stay awake, and moving her limbs was completely out of the question. The figure looming over her had proven that it wasn't, in fact, just her imagination. Her mouth denied her a cry as the figure's fingers brushed over the flesh of her stomach, slightly riding her shirt up. Miniature scribbling sounds could then be heard as the silhouette of his head gently nodded._

"Yes. Yes, that's right. Sleep, my darling. This will all be over soon... And you, you will be all mine. We will rule over these two worlds... And many others."

_She felt her heart seize, sweat burning her temples. His words rang familiar words into her mind. Two worlds. And all of a sudden, her heart began beating fast, almost as if it were trying to burst out of her chest._


	11. Chapter 11

She was never a fan of darkness, but in these cases, she couldn't help but be thankful. Curiosity was yearning to find out who this mysterious man was. The man who visited her occasionally at the dead of night, and who seemed to know so much about the odd patterns embellishing her torso. He seemed fascinated with them, taking a deep liking in her as well. His husky voice sent mild shivers down her spine, but in her paralyzed state, there was little she could do. In the meantime, she was glad his face was hidden in the darkness of the night. Her mind resided in a distant place where stories from her childhood flooded her mind. She could scarcely hear her mother's voice, telling her stories of revolting villains. This man, in her mind, had taken his rightful stance as a villain, and her innocent heart felt petrified of what he may look like.

But that was just it, wasn't it? She couldn't ever really be innocent now, could she? Her innocence had long taken its toll long ago as the gates of her past abandoned her in this cold dimension. Curiosity had become a stimulus for her to keep living, nothing more. For some reason or another, though, she didn't feel ready to die just yet. More and more pictures had been painted into her mind from a time long before. They were horrifying and soothing. She saw herself as a good friend, a good companion, a good worker, a good person. She saw herself smiling and blushing, laughing and crying, all the emotions a regular human being would have. She saw hardships, but she didn't see fatality in her own mind. Innocence could be pouring out of every hole in her body, but then again, there was nothing more beautiful or terrifying than innocence. All she could do now was beg the kind Misses Doctor to never leave her again.

As if on cue, the door clicked open, revealing the young Doctor, her mouth stretched upwards in a bright smile. She cried out her usual 'Hey sweets!' before gently closing the door behind her. The blonde felt something odd coursing through her veins. Relief, anxiety, fear, all mixed into one burning lump of coal that began scorching her heart from the insides. Suddenly, the young blonde's chest began beating wildly, and her stomach felt like home to a thousand butterflies. Her blue eyes followed the glowing doctor as she paced around the room, making her way to the window and blabbering on about not having to worry about her food poisoning any longer because she'd get down to the bottom of it. Something like that, anyway. But she didn't listen to any of it. She was more focused on the hot sensation that pricked at the back of her eyeballs, the forming knot that was binding at the pit of her throat and her slow and steady hiccups that were building into ragged sobs. Without a second question about what she was doing, she jumped off the cold bed and charged towards the startled doctor. When her arms were wrapped around her body and her porcelain face was buried into her breasts, it was then that her knees gave in and she brought both of them to the ground, her slender body shaking in sync to her quick sobs.

As for the doctor, she was simply stunned. Her arms were slumped to her sides, and her knees slowly grew cold from the hard marble floor beneath her. She gently placed a hand upon the blonde's head, patting it slowly. "Th-there, there, darling. It's alright."

The young blonde didn't hear the same determination and willpower her young doctor previously had in her voice. The best she could do was pray she wouldn't abandon her as well. Quite frankly, she felt a little desperate and pathetic. She relied on others far too often. The young doctor wriggled herself free of the young girl's grasp. With a long sighed, she cupped the blonde's face into her hands, gently stroking each cheek with her thumbs.

"You look tired. Go sleep a little." She whispered. "Don't worry; I'll be right here the whole time." She added quickly upon seeing the blonde's horrified expression. Her face looked pale, but it wasn't because of the fact that she'd been vomiting her guts out for the past weeks. There was fear, distrust, anxiety all poured into one, and Bunny felt her heart seize for a moment at the sight. The bags under her eyes seemed darker, and the two orbs that she remembered to once be an aquatic ocean blue were now merely a dull gray, almost as if an entire ocean had dried up and the outcome was a dumb excuse for two eyes. If what Edward had been telling her was really true, there was no way this girl could bring herself to trust anyone ever again.

"Sweetheart you rest right here. I have to get you some medication, you don't look so healthy. You're running a fever, you look pale as a ghost, and I doubt you've gotten much sleep. Off to bed with you-"

The doctor's words were cut off by the sudden sobs that erupted from the blonde. Bunny felt something stab at her heart as if punishing her, but she merely placed her hand on the young girl's head, smoothing it softly and caringly. A long sigh escaped her now trembling lips.

"I said I'd be here, right? I never go back on my word. I'm just going to fetch you some meds." The blonde shook her head violently, her grip growing unbearably strong to the doctor.

"W-W-Will...!"

"Alright! Alright, it'll be fine! I won't go. I won't leave this room, okay? But you have to promise me you'll sleep!"

The blonde loosened her grip around Bunny's waist and looked upwards at her with two tired eyes. Bunny groaned, wriggling herself free. "Don't worry, nitwit, I won't leave while you're asleep. Jeez..." She whispered calmly, patting the girl's head. _Now how am I going to get her meds?_ She thought to herself. She could only hope Edward was nosing around in the hallways nearby. He didn't seem to care much about whether or not his superiors would realize he was slacking sooner or later. Such a carefree soul would soon get his ass whooped, and Bunny vowed then and there she'd pay an arm and a leg to be there when it happened.

_Hehe... arm and leg..._

After she had succeeded in laying supposed-Winry down on her bed (which really needed a change of sheets), Bunny quietly inched her way towards the door, opening it just far enough to poke her small head out and scan the descending hallway. It seemed deserted, and to be expected, too. It was shift hour, and nobody should be out.

_Should be._ If everyone followed the rules all the time, there wouldn't be anyone by the name of Edward Elric, now would there? He still had the least bit sense of responsibility, so she'd have to wait it out for a little while. Maybe now she'd have enough time to ponder why on Earth the Blondie was so distraught.

Bunny lowered herself down and sat on the bed next to the young girl's sleeping figure. Her dull gray shirt had ridden up a little, and Bunny could faintly see a quarter of the tattoo that ran across her stomach. When she ran her finger over it, it felt like the rest of her bare flesh, soft and smooth. It was almost as if she was born with the markings, as though her skin had bore it from the start.

The doctor's thoughts were interrupted by the click of a door from the hallway outside. She hurriedly tiptoed towards the door, pressing one eye against the edge to peek outside. Unfortunately, it wasn't Elric, but instead another fellow doctor she'd seen around here and there a few times. _Suppose she'll do._

"Hey! Excuse me I need you here!" Bunny called, keeping her voice as low as possible. The startled doctor raised an eyebrow before taking quick glances around him.

"I'm talking to you! Come here, quickly, please!"

The doctor scratched the back of his head before jogging over to the door Bunny hid herself behind. As he approached, she got a better look at him. He seemed a few years older than her, the 5 o'clock shadow and side burns giving him a rather lazy look. His eyes, however, were a brilliant aquamarine colour. _Why am I engaged again?_

"Hey, I'm real sorry to bother you. You must be busy."

"Not at all. My patient is really quiet and independent, if you know what I mean." He chuckled. Bunny smiled in response to the man's bright attitude, despite their current environment.

"Well, I need you to do me a favour. Can you run over to the pharmaceutical department and fetch me some nausea pills? It's for food poisoning."

"Ah, yeah sure, I guess I can do that."

Bunny thanked the man graciously, and slowly closed the door behind her. She felt her heart relieve slightly upon knowing someone would be willing to do her such a favour. But the relief slowly drained as her eyes wandered back to the blonde sprawled across the bed. Bunny knew she had a lot to learn about this girl, and none of it would be easy. But somehow, she knew she'd find the strength to help her. And for a while now, she began hoping it would help Edward as well.

The young doctor made her way to the blonde's bed once again. Her fingers danced across the blonde's face, tucking strands of sunlight tresses behind her ears. The blonde's eyes slowly began to flutter open sleepily as she smiled up at the doctor.

"Rest up, buttercup. Everything will be okay. I'm right here."

"Will be?" The girl asked, placing her hand onto the doctor's.

"Yes. It will be." Bunny smiled. The feeling of relief flooded her veins once again upon seeing the girl's bright smile, and cheeks bunched up at the corners of her face. Her face found that usual peachy glow it used to have, and for that moment, everything seemed to be fine. Bunny had begun realizing that she was gradually starting to believe Edward and Alphonse's story.

About their parallel universe.

About the war between them and the artificial humans.

And most importantly, about their dear friend whom they had treated so poorly.

Alongside believing this story, Bunny had also begun to grow anger towards the two brothers as whole. It was true that they both felt terribly for it, and were both still trying to recover from their depressing states, and it was for this reason and this reason alone that Bunny hadn't handed their asses to them by now. They had been selfish, but they had suffered the consequences. The young doctor just couldn't understand why this poor girl had as well.

_Knock, knock._

"Oh, your meds have arrived." Bunny mumbled, quickly lifting herself up from the bed and jogging towards the door. She quickly cleared her mind of her previous thoughts, gently turning the knob. But instead of the attractive young man with aquamarine eyes, Edward stood there, wearing a rather anxious expression rather than a bored one for once. It took Bunny a few moments to realize what was happening. Edward was here. Could-be-Winry was behind her. _Ah, hell. I hate you too, life._

"E-Elric? Whaddya' doing here?" Bunny blabbed, trying her best to block the doorway from the taller, more muscular man.

"Um... Some guy came into the pharmacy asking for medicine for you... I told him I'd take it instead. Is everything oka-?"

"Peachy, peachy, peachy, everything is A-plus, _thaaank ya!"_ She laughed nervously, swiping the medication out of the Elric's hand. Edward closed his eyes with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Look, Bunny, if there's one thing I've learned from this whole charade, its respect."

The woman's expression crumbled. "Huh?"

"I know she's behind you. And as damn tempting as it is, I won't pressure you into letting me see her. Hell, I don't even think I'm ready to see her..."

"Ed..."

"Look, Bunny... I just have a lot of hope right now. I'm hoping to hell that this could be her. There's a damn high chance that it isn't, but I'm still hoping. And if it ends up not being her... I guess I'll just lose all hope of ever recovering from this."

Bunny was at a loss of words for what seemed like ages. She'd never seen someone so sane, yet so defeated. "Thank you, Edward. It really means a lo-"

"Will be?"

Both Edward and Bunny felt their hearts seize for an instant. Neither knew what to do, or say. They could just listen to the quiet pit-pat of bare feet on marble floor as the young blonde slowly approached the door. Edward's heart began thumping rapidly, and he wanted so bad to push Bunny aside and look at the girl himself. But as the footsteps came to a halt, he found himself trapped in hesitation. The silent gasp that escaped the foreign throat was what coaxed his head to lift in a nanosecond, only to be met by a pair of eyes he'd once etched into his mind for years. Both their eyes widened, and Edward felt his mouth go dry, his head throbbing. And finally, Winry Rockbell, automail engineer, dear friend, granddaughter, and more, screamed a scream that would echo throughout all of England for eons.

* * *

It was almost complete. His formula for rediscovering the new world was closely within his reach. Those bastards from the Thule Society were brainless bullhorns who were driven mad the second they were granted enough power. He wouldn't make the same mistake.

He took a final gander over the many papers that had sprawled over his desk, presenting them with a sly smirk that could shatter an iceberg to shame. It would soon be time, and everyone would soon know his name. They would fear him, and he'd relish in his growing power.

"Winry, Winry, Winry... You are truly a gift. We were destined for each other... But alas, you must wait..." His hands that would soon be covered in the blood of many slowly made their way towards the telephone nestled innocently on the wooden table.

"It's about time I give a call to my partner in... justice." Yes, justice. That's what it was.

He was perfectly sane.

* * *

**A.N:** ohmygodwhatsgonnahappentheyf inallymetwhaaaaaat.

Nope of course I wont tell you, psh.

A note to keep in mind for future chapters though... No character introduced is going to be insignificant.

R&R! #!#! $ #$ #%%


	12. Chapter 12

It was obvious winter was taking its leave. The wind was much milder than usual, the sky had lost its gray overtone, and the snow on the ground had melted to nothing but small mounds of dirty white fluff. The blades of grass poking out of the juicy mud almost looked exhausted. Instead of green, they were tinted some God-awful yellow-brown colour. Overall, the weather seemed nice enough, but the ground was no seating option for Edward. _So this is what its come down to,_ he thought to himself quietly. _I'm pondering about the weather with myself. Pathetic._

Edward sat on one of the cold and rough boulders out in the courtyards of the institution. A few doctors had taken their patients out for some fresh air and tea, an insistence most likely made by the patients themselves. A few of the doctors recognized him from the cafeteria and said hello, but others had been there when Winry had started her panic attack and chose (quite wisely, might he add) to keep their distance. Behind the gates, he could see the bustling street in clear view, the bakery, the cafe, and the printing shop all neatly lined up, one next to another. He'd remember how Winry loved to bake. She and Sheska would argue about whether it was an art or a science, Winry taking her vote on science. It brought back beautiful memories of the times he'd actually smiled back in Amestris.

But now, for the time being, all he could do was sit and wait, maybe get over the fact that Bunny had yelled at him, and it had slightly shattered his ego, but if there was one thing he was relieved of, it was that the girl was definitely Winry. It was just her reaction he wasn't expecting. Was it too much for her memory to handle? Nah, she probably loathed him for what he had done to her. He wouldn't blame her, he hated himself as well. Even Alphonse had begun blaming himself for what had happened. He'd keep repeating "If I hadn't followed you, and I'd stayed behind with her, none of this would have happened". And then there was Noah, who would say "If I hadn't distracted you, maybe you could've warned her". And lastly, there was himself. That was it. It was just a whole fiasco of people blaming themselves for the apparent death of Winry Rockbell, who he'd seen just moments ago in flesh and blood. That was most likely where they had gone wrong. Instead of helping each other cope with such a traumatic experience, they'd sat around in their own little pity corners with their pitiful selves, throwing their own little pity parties. The night that he, Bunny and Alphonse had spoken about the possibility of Winry being alive, Al had brought up the fact that she may be merely a doppelganger. But now, Edward was certain it wasn't.

The fire among the bleakness of her eyes reminded him too much of saw sparks among a murky mechanics store.

* * *

It had taken almost 3 hours for Bunny to settle the blonde down. Her shaking hadn't stopped for a while, and once it did, she spent the remainder of the time staring out her window at absolutely nothing. She sat still as Bunny dabbed her face with a clean handkerchief, occasionally swallowing back a forming lump within the pit of her throat. As for Bunny, she'd run out of things to do and say. She began mentally scolding herself, reminding again and again that it was her job to do this, and she'd been doing it for years now. But this matter had gone beyond simply occupational reasons. She was dealing with a parallel, one that is supposed to be dead, but isn't. Things had gotten far more personal and serious that they should have. There was a pain in her heart caused by guilt, for a number of reasons. She could have stopped the two of them from seeing each other, but her fragile heart couldn't stand to see that look on Edward's face any longer. And that scream... it had startled many doctors out of their rooms, not to mention a couple had notified Jacob, and he'd come running down the minute he'd heard. It took a great deal of persuading to convince everyone that nothing serious had happened. She'd eventually gotten slightly frustrated and annoyed with everyone's nosiness, ultimately having to narrow her options down to yelling at them that she knew what she was doing, and they had no business telling her how to deal with her patients, especially since she was their superior as far as experience went. Jacob had told her to shove a sock in it, and then proceeded to clear the hallway of the suspicious doctors. He'd then turned back and given her a look she'd never seen on his face before. It seemed as if he'd lost an ounce of trust within her. There was a number of experiences worth pulling her hair out over.

Her next issue was with Edward. Once Winry had begun her screaming, clutching her head and backing away from the door in agony, she'd yelled at him to leave in panic. He'd looked confused, upset, angry, and extremely hurt. It tore her heart so cleanly in two that she almost stopped to apologize, but he'd already spun around on his heels, dashing away franticly. She'd certainly gotten herself into one thick pickle. An extremely sour one, at that. She promised herself she'd go and look for him as soon as she could. But what frightened her the most was the fact that Edward _recognized_ her, Blondie _recognized_ him, and she went through a moment of trauma because of it. _Edward, oh, Edward..._

She looked over to where Winry was seated at the window. Her head was turned away from the doctor, still staring out to the open streets on London. She was still and silent, her face extremely difficult to read for a change. It was almost as if she'd become a completely different person.

"H-hey, sweets. You gonna be okay?"

There was a few moments of silence in which the air grew thick around them. Nervousness crept over Bunny like a stinkbug, until the blonde finally nodded her head slowly. "Do you still need me here? I have to go find Mr. Gold Eyes, try and talk some sense into him."

"I'd like to see him."

Bunny froze for an instant upon hearing her foreign voice. It was different from when she would speak before. It was the voice of a young, mature woman rather than a frightened young girl.

"Please. Let me see him." Her voice spoke once again, this time, as her head turn towards the doctor with pleading and sincere eyes.

* * *

The sky was beginning to grow dim, and the courtyard was now empty. Edward began wondering why he was still there himself. His shifts had finished long ago, and he doubted Bunny wanted to see him at all after today's mess. Edward grunted an annoyed sigh, realizing he'd have to confront her about this later and _apologize_. That was something Edward wasn't good at doing. He somehow found the energy to lift himself off of the ground, with a few nasty cracking sounds erupting from here and there. He sighed one last time with a look at the busy rushing streets.

_I should've left sooner... Now how am I gonna make it to Al by the time his shift ends?_

Definitely not by wasting any more time. Edward gathered his coat up from the ground, and caught another quick glimpse at Winry in his mind.

_Man, why do I do this to myself?_

Edward slowly closed his eyes with a sigh, hoping that the image of the blonde would quickly depart from his mind. It finally dawned on him how comforting it was to not see anything for a change. He felt himself surrounded by darkness, but it was oddly consoling. He was taken back to the days where he'd be able to go to sleep, knowing his brother and mother were just a room or two away. The days he'd visit Winry without seeing her troubled expression. The days he'd run for hours and hours, and not have to worry about oiling his limbs in fear that they might lock in place and force him to waddle down to the nearest automail shop like a penguin. The memories spiraled through his mind like a paintbrush on canvas, fleshing out the odorless roses of his youth, ones whose thorns had completely torn their own petals.

And her scream would echo through one ear and out the other, but would also wreck havoc in the meantime. It was almost like a wakeup call to both of them; she had finally discovered what a monster he was, and wanted nothing to do with him. The hands brushing his cheeks felt so close to home, yet so far away. It took Edward a few moments to realize they weren't his own. And as his golden eyes were revealed once again from under his eyelids, the face of his childhood friend appeared once again, holding his face in her hands.

Edward gasped and staggered backwards, bumping into a small shrub and almost flipping over. He could see Bunny standing a few feet behind her, trying to suppress a chuckle from his sudden reaction. _What the hell was she laughing at?_

But she was the least of his worries. All he could see at that moment was Winry, standing in front of him, probably with a look he'd never seen on her face before. He felt nervous all of a sudden, afraid of what he might see by looking. All he could do was muster up all his courage, and glance sheepishly at her aquatic blue orbs.

They were unreadable. Blank. He didn't know what to think or expect from her any longer, so he waited. He waited and gave her a chance for a change. And Winry took advantage of it.

"I don't know who you are..."

Well, that was a huge disappointment.

"...But I dream of you every night."

Bunny gasped behind her, and Edward felt his heart seize as his mouth slightly opened. Winry noted how his tongue poked out ever so slightly and how beautifully defined his jaw line was.

"You always look so upset. There's emptiness about you, I can tell you've struggled a lot in the past. Every time I try reaching out to you, you just close your eyes, turn around and leave. I try calling out to you, I try running towards you, but I become paralyzed."

Winry's voice turned more and more desperate and pleading with every word. The former alchemist felt his heart nearly burst out of his chest from the shame and guilt.

"Please. Let me help you." She whispered softly, walking closer. "I want to help you. That's all I've ever wanted to do for you."

Edward's eyes widened and a knot began forming in the pit of his throat. Bunny had a hand covering her mouth, glaring at the pair with awe. The blonde girl now stood inches away from Edward, staring at his paralyzed face with a look of pure sincerity nestled on her own. Her hand made its way towards his dry cheeks once again, her thumb gently rubbing the area right underneath his eyes. Edward's stare almost pierced right through her, he couldn't believe his ears any longer.

She wanted to help him. This crazy, stupid girl still wanted to help him, after everything he'd done. It was just like Winry to do so. Stupid. So stupid.

"Winry..." Edward muttered between clenched teeth.

"..._YOU CRAZY MACHINE GEEK!"_

Winry inhaled sharply as Edward threw his arms around her neck, pulling her close and squeezing her tightly in his arms. His shoulders began shaking violently, and an eruption of sobs broke out from his throat. He noticed his knees had practically turned to jelly just before he brought them both to the ground. Confusion took over the young girl's body, but soon, her own eyes began to grow irritated. Hot tears prickled at them, threatening to overflow, and her heart beat faster and faster with every squeeze Edward gave her. She pressed her face against his warm neck, and inhaled his familiar scent.

_Waltz on home, little rolling child._

* * *

**A.N: **Oh my god, WHAT?! Fenton actually updated without waiting a whole lifetime! Ehe, yeah, I couldn't make you guys wait too long after my last update... It would be too cruel. So this should satisfy SOME of your curiosity xD_  
_

AGAIN, I'd like more reviews, everyone! I wont stop updating if I don't get any, cause that's just mean, but the feedback could help both me AND you! I'll be able to write more effectively for you all! I TAKE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!

_**FEEDBACKFEEDBACKFEEDBACK!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**A.N: **I know, I know, I'm sorry everyone! I was on vacation for most of winter break, and then I got bombarded with assignments, projects and now, I'm currently studying for exams. I found the time to write another chapter in between all this fiasco, so please, bear with me! I haven't forgotten about this story, and I still love all of you!

Also, I know I've made Ed and Al feel like shit for most of this story, but honestly, one of the reasons I began this story was to emphasize how badly Ed and Al treated Winry in the 2003 FMA. You guys might be surprised to know I actually HATED the first FMA for many reasons. This being one of them. But nonetheless, I liked this idea, so I'll be sticking with AIM until the end! (: Fenton loves you all!

_**P.S: R&R PLEASE!**_

* * *

"Please pardon me, Mr. Markel. I'll be going now. The lady needs some care for today!"

Kain began quickly gathering up his suitcase and plastic bags containing a variety of different breads, vegetables, and medicine. Mr. Markel tossed him his nightly issue with a smirk playing across his face. He had exchanged his usual cigarette for a burgundy coloured pipe that poked out of his chapped lips. The smell of nicotine was getting far too much for Kain's throat to handle, and his _HEM!_s were beginning to irritate the customers. He kindly thanked the old man, and took his cue to leave, as it was close to Mr. Markel's closing time. He also needed to get home to Noah as soon as possible. Her headaches were slowly growing intolerable. Kain could only silently thank his decision to enter the medical fields after the fiasco in Germany, and although he was still far from graduating medical school, he at least knew of the proper remedies needed to cure migraines.

As for Mr. Markel, keeping a straight face and innocent appearance all day was slowly growing more and more difficult. His hat did the favour of soaking up the beads of sweat that grew on his brow every second that he'd think about those phone calls shared with that wretched man. His wife begged him in tears every night to stop thinking about it, and he'd cry that it wasn't in his control. Then, a new bottle of absinthe would be fetched from the cellar, and Mr. Markel would drink until his cries were drowned in the depths of alcohol. But perhaps it was merely his throat that was burnt to a crisp. He felt his life slowly fall apart right before his eyes. The house he'd lived in for 25 years now was a place he couldn't bear to call home. The wood of the floors which he used to polish once every 3 months were now chipped and worn out, looking so old and tired they put poor Mr. Markel to shame. The kitchen drapes that once smelled of the cinnamon Mrs. Markel would bake her apple pie with now held the stench of week old cigarette butts. It was the house he'd grown up in, married in, made love in, bore children in.

But now, it was merely the house he'd raised that monster in.

"Horace? Horace, sweetheart, is that you?" His wife's tired voice called from within the darkness of their house. Mr. Markel couldn't muster the energy to open his mouth any longer. He merely nodded, not caring that she couldn't see. The rustling of bed sheets and the quiet pit-patter footsteps slowly drew, and his heart began thumping faster, anxiety seeping in. He didn't want to speak to anyone. He didn't want to answer any questions. He wanted a drink, and he wanted sleep. That alone would be enough.

But when his wife's small, wrinkled hand was placed on his shoulder; he wished she hadn't done it so gently, or with affection. For now, Horace Markel began his sobs, as the waterfalls in his eyes that had dried up in a drought the night before suddenly turned into oases once again. His wife winced slightly before sighing and embracing him, just as she did every other night.

"There, there, my love. It is not your fault."

"But it is!" He cried, wrapping his arms tightly around her thinned waist.

"You're wrong, Horace." She whispered into his ear, just as she'd done the night he'd fallen in love with her. "You were a wonderful father. Nature just seems to have won over nurture this time."

"He is still my son. And I still have to save him."

"_We_ have to save him." She whispered, before her kisses enveloped the darkness of the night.

* * *

"Yes, _HEM!_, hello?" Kain coughed into the phone.

"Uh, hey, Kain. How's it hanging?"

"Edward!" Kain laughed. "I'm great! How're you two?"

"We're managing. How are Noah's headaches? No good, am I right?"

Kain blinked twice. "How did you know?"

"I think I might have a solution for her. Think you can put her on for a bit?"

Kain scratched the back of his head in hesitation, an odd feeling at the pit of his throat. "Er, I don't know, Edward... She's really not feeling too well at the moment, and-"

"I found Winry."

"W-What?!" Kain choked.

"Yeah, crazy, I know. That could somehow be linked to her migraines."

"Mind explaining this a little more in depth, Edward? I'm afraid I don't quite understand. I-I mean, Winry, and Noah, and migraines? I'm very confused." Kain fumbled with the collar of his shirt in anxiety.

Edward chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Sure, Kain. I'd hate to keep you in the dark. I remember Noah telling me something about having similar migraines about a year before she met me, which was around the same time I entered your world," He explained. "And she had those migraines again when Al came to this world."

"So what you're telling me is that you think her migraines are caused by Winry's appearance? A transition from your world to ours?"

"Exactly!"

"I understand, Edward," Kain scratched the back of his head again. "But how can you be sure that this is really Winry? I mean, you said you knew a girl similar to Noah back in Anestis-"

"Amestris."

"...Amestris, right? How do you know she isn't merely a doppelganger?"

The was a short pause before Edward continued. "I... I just know. The look in her eyes, and... and she also has these really odd tattoos across her chest and stomach! It has to be her!"

Kain coughed awkwardly, a smug smirk playing across his face. "Er, how do you know that? Did you lift her shirt up or-"

"GAH, KAIN, THAT ISN'T WHAT I MEANT! I-I'll explain everything later! I didn't actually see them, I just-! Argh, give Noah the phone!" Edward blabbed, flustered.

Kain snorted in amusement. "Sure thing, Elric."

Kain gently placed the telephone on the table, quietly making his way to the bedroom, chuckling as he heard Edward's faint voice mumble "bastard" from the receiver. He slowly opened the door to his and Noah's bedroom, guilt pricking at his chest as he watched the light flood over Noah's face, causing the beautiful woman to wince in fatigue. Her chocolate skin had turned a slight pale beige colour, and the bags under her eyes were dark. But she looked beautiful to him nonetheless. Kain sat down next to her on the bed, picking up the receiver that sat on their bedside table.

"Kain? What is it?" Noah mumbled groggily.

"It's Edward. You should probably talk to him, love." He said with his usual European accent that brought butterflies to Noah's stomach. "He has some fascinating news to share."

* * *

"It's really cold."

"Well, no duh. I was just outside!"

Bunny watched the two blondes in amusement. Winry was examining Edward's automail arm, in an attempt to summon her previous memories. She'd had a special glint in her eyes when he first rolled his sleeves up, but she still had a ways to go. It had been just yesterday that the two of them had reunited with one another, and Edward had barely left her side. He and Bunny had stayed overnight with Winry (much to her delight) in an attempt to help her overcome her amnesia. Edward had said several terms that he was familiar with her using back in – what was it called? – Amestris. Automail, wrench, metal, Rockbell. She sounded like some sort of mineral. It was rather hilarious for the young doctor.

And as funny as it was, Bunny also found it extremely endearing. Edward would be deep in conversation, explaining to her the things she'd do for him, how she did it, and what she'd use. Then he'd add in the way she'd beat him with her wrench whenever he got too reckless (which always earned a giggle from Winry, and a light blush from Edward). Then, it was Winry's turn, to ask questions, to tell him whether or not she believe any, little or all of it. While she spoke, Edward's eyes, Bunny noticed, had a hard time staying still. They'd explore her face, every inch of it, taking in every detail, every lash, every pore on her rosy cheeks. Then her sunshine hair, her toned arms, her porcelain collarbones (and when they'd go lower than that, his cheeks would tint darker, and his eyes would snap back up to her face). But throughout his process of 'Winry exploration', Bunny would notice the growing twinkle in his eyes, the straighter back, the relaxed shoulders. And the stretch of his lips could not go unnoticed either. Bunny smiled to herself, and them. Though it had been only a day that they'd reunited, they talked to one another as if they'd known each other all their lives. But Bunny decided not to get too ahead of herself – Winry had yet to fully remember who _she_ was, let alone who _he_ was.

Edward stretched his arms out with a yawn, groaning as the trio heard a slight _crack_ from his back.

"Ah, I'm exhausted. Think we can call it a day, Bunny?" Edward mumbled with fatigue. Bunny nodded, but didn't miss the look of fear that passed across Winry's face for a split second.

"Ah, yeah sure, Ed. I'm feeling pretty tired too. Plus, Winry's dinner will be here soon, and thats the end of our shifts. We've even worked overtime!"

Edward chuckled, but as he was getting up from the bed, he felt a slight tug on the back of his shirt. He slowly turned his head to meet the shy face of Winry, clutching his shirt tightly and biting her lower lip. Edward felt his cheeks flush once again before swallowing a nervous knot at the pit of his throat.

"Er, what's up Winry?"

"I-I was just, um. I was starting to remember, we shouldn't stop now..." She mumbled quietly as she stared down at the bland bed sheets.

"Uh, well, I'll be back tomorrow." Edward chuckled, standing up straight. "Don't worry, Win! I won't give up until you're fully recove-!"

"No! Please, don't leave me!" Winry cried, throwing her arms around his waist. Edward's jaw dropped down to his chest as his face turned the colour of fresh beets. Bunny looked away in embarrassment and amusement, covering her mouth in an attempt to hold back her laughter.

"W-W-Winry?" Edward mumbled nervously. Winry tightened her hold on him and tilted her head upwards to look Edward in the eyes. Edward immediately felt his heart sink at the sight of tears lingering in her eyes. With a slight sigh, he placed a hand on her hair, gently smoothing it out. Winry closed her eyes and brought her head back down, gently pressing her cheeks to Edward's lower stomach. It hadn't dawned on Edward how comfortable it was to have Winry embrace him like this. He remembered the last time they'd shared a hug was as children, when Winry had just found out her parents had been killed in the Ishvalan civil war. Even then he didn't know the worth of Winry's touch.

"I'm afraid he'll come again."

Edward froze suddenly. Bunny, too, whipped her head back to the couple in shock.

"Who?" Edward asked, his brows furrowing. "Who's 'he'?" His voice turned harsher and angrier with every word. Bunny had somehow appeared next to them, with a similar expression on her face.

"I don't know..." Winry mumbled into his shirt. "I don't know who he is. I'm always too tired to open my eyes. But he likes my body."

Edward felt his entire body engulfed with flames upon her remark. He tightened his grip on her arms in frustration, ready to explode in anger that a man _dared_ touch Winry's body in such a way. But before he could say anything, Bunny interrupted abruptly.

"Too tired? I knew it!" She snapped, looking almost as frustrated as Edward. "Someone's been giving you sleeping pills! No wonder you've been puking your guts out!"

"That _fucker_!" Edward growled. "Bunny, it's unsafe for her to be here! I'll kill whoever touched Winry!"

Winry was looking at Edward once again, her facial expression evolved into shock this time. "He... doesn't touch me. Well, not really, anyway..." Her grip loosened slightly, until her arms flopped to her sides. "He likes these." Slowly, she lifted her oversized baggy t-shirt up to reveal her small waist that was embellished with the alchemical runes. Bunny frowned.

"What could someone possibly want with those things? I thought you said only the Thule Society knew of alchemy and Anestis-"

"_Amestris._" coughed Edward, looking away.

"...whatever. Did they have backup, maybe?"

"Not exactly." Edward said. "That group of amateurs kept to themselves a lot – there could have been one or two that still know of their secrets."

"Such as who?" Bunny asked.

"Spies. Allies. Who knows?"

"Well, regardless of who it may be, I refuse to let Winry stay here tonight!" Bunny pouted. "But where can she go? Should we switch her room for a while? Or, could you maybe take her home with you? I'm sure Alphonse would be-!"

"I don't think Al should know about this just yet." Edward interrupted, his eyes downcast. Bunny raised an eyebrow.

"Alphonse? That's your brother, isn't it?" Winry asked softly. Edward looked at her in awe, before nodding his head.

"Yeah. You were really important to him. To both of us." He whispered. Edward suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness at the memories of how the two of them, especially himself, had treated Winry. _It really is true when they say you don't know what you have until it's gone._

"But, Ed," Bunny said, interrupting his thoughts. "Why don't you want Alphonse to find out?"

There was a brief silence before Edward could bring himself to answer. "He can't handle all of this right now. The guilt, the frustration, it's all still in him. I wouldn't make my brother look her in the face after-"

Edward stopped midsentence as his eyes fell on Winry once again. She blinked patiently, as if urging him to continue his sentence. The former alchemist looked away in shame.

"That isn't important right now... What's important is that we have to find a place for Winry to stay."

Bunny nodded understandingly. "And we have to find out who did this to her."

Outside of the patient bedroom, a man clenched his teeth together in anger, his knuckles growing white as he tightened his grip on the tray of food. He swiftly turned around, hurrying his way down the hall and dumping the tray in a nearby garbage can.

_Winry... You WILL be mine!_


	14. Chapter 14

Kain was silent during most of the drive towards London. The young man wore a mask of blankness over his face in fear of Noah poking questions at his head again. Of course, he knew the mask didn't do him much good, as Noah was fully aware of the fact that he was against the idea, and yet, she said nothing, which drove Kain crazy. After Edward's phone call the other day, he'd called again the same night, asking the couple to come up to London and take Winry into their care for a while. Noah, upon hearing Edward's pleading voice, had accepted immediately, telling the young man she'd be up there by midday the next day. It had irritated Kain that she hadn't asked him if he were okay with it before accepting, _or _considering the consequences of what was yet to happen. Noah had complained that Edward was in need, and proceeded to teary eyed, saying something about both owing that girl and Edward, since she was the reason the whole mess had begun in the first place. Kain wasn't fully convinced yet, but had gone along with it anyways, for Noah's sake. But that didn't take away from his agitation. All the three of them had been doing was blaming themselves. Kain just wanted to scream in their faces that _they weren't helping anyone_!

He'd begun seeing a pattern in Edward's behaviour, especially. The boy would always immediately take action to solve other peoples' problems, regardless of what that person may think of his solutions. Kain had a lot of 'what ifs' stirring up in his mind. The girl was mentally unstable, and she barely knew anyone in this cruel world she had been brought into. It brought a sickening feeling to Kain's stomach to try and understand what this poor girl was going through at the moment.

As for Noah, she was anxious about meeting the girl for the second time. She hadn't ever really spoken to her, other than the horrifying dreams she'd have from time to time. The Roma was curious to find out what kind of person Winry is. She knew pathetically little about her, considering the events they'd both undergone. She was into mechanics, she was a childhood friend of Edward and Alphonse's, and she was killed.

But she wasn't.

Noah shook her head of the confusing thoughts and directed her attention back to Kain, whose face looked able to break glass from its rock solidity. Noah began stealing occasional glances at her fiancée's face from time to time throughout the drive, trying desperately to find something to say. Finally, she sighed, placing a hand on his lap, not caring to shift the slightest, even when he winced under her touch.

"Kain, darling. Please, say something."

"What's there to say?" He replied immediately, trying to keep his tone low.

"You know how I feel about this situation, Kainan... I've made fatal mistakes in the past, and I understand that I can't keep letting it haunt me! But... I just want to help set things right for once."

Kain winced slightly at her use of his real name, quickly exhaling afterwards. She'd only ever use it if she was extremely upset or distraught, which wasn't exactly helping his situation at the moment. His fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he tried desperately to keep his eyes glued to the road, or, glued to anything but her. "I understand Noah, and honestly, I'm doing this only for you. I admire Ed and Al, they're good guys. But sometimes... Gah, I don't know, hon... They need to learn how to let people deal with their own problems."

"Kain! How could you say that?!" Noah cried, throwing her arms up. "The girl is confused and frightened! Someone's been stealing into her room at night, doing Heaven knows what, and-!"

"You don't understand me." Kain interrupted. "Sure, the girl needs help, but that's all she needs. Edward isn't helping her or anyone else for that matter – he's just _deciding_ for her. How do we know this girl even _wants _to come live with us? How do we know what kind of care this girl needs? How do we know how unstable she is, mentally? How do we know she isn't going to lose it one night, leaving us helpless and desperate? There are a lot of things we haven't considered yet, and you just went ahead and immediately accepted, as though we're rich off our heels, and able to afford any sort of treatment or medication!"

He watched Noah wince beside him as his breathing grew hoarse. He'd let his anger get the best of him yet again. With another tired sigh, he slowed down the car and pulled over. Switching the engine off, Kain turned to his fiancée. Noah had gathered her hand away from his lap, and was now fidgeting with the hem of her scarf, her eyes downcast. "...He was only trying to help..." she whispered. It annoyed Kain how often she'd take Edward's side with these things, but decided to swallow his pride this time. For the sake of maturity, anyway.

"I know he's trying to help. I know you're trying to help, and I'm all up for help. Help is great." The young man leaned over and tilted Noah's chin upwards to meet his eyes. "Let's just promise to talk things over with Edward and Winry when we get there, okay? I don't want to jump into things without understanding the consequences. Shouldn't you of all people understand that by now?"

Noah gulped and nodded. "And Alphonse." She added. "I don't want to keep him in the dark about this."

Kain nodded, before coughing twice and clearing his throat. "_HEM!_ Yeah, I agree." The young doctor straightened his back against the seat, exhaling quickly. "Well, then. Let's get going."

* * *

"Ed, I still don't think this is a good idea." Bunny mumbled. Edward continued pacing around the hospital room with a concerned expression playing across his face. His lips were tinted purple, and his skin was pale from the cold draft inside the building. The former alchemist felt his eyelids droop from the amount of fatigue overcoming him, the purple bags under his eyes giving away his weakness. Bunny, herself, was shivering quietly under her thick sweater. The only person who seemed to be comfortable was Winry, who was wrapped up in three thick blankets and seated on top of her bed

"Gaah... Trust me for once, will you, Bunny? And tell Jake to crank the damned heater up! This place is fr-r-r-_reezing!_" He shivered through clenched teeth. Winry's musical laughter erupted throughout the room, and Bunny let out an amused snort.

"Yeah, sorry. Most of the heating is sent to the long term wing, cause we usually get the short-termers out quicker. The others need more _care_, if ya know what I mean."

Edward grumbled grouchily one more time before Bunny threw up her arms in defeat. "Okay, fine! I'll get us some hot cocoa. You stay here with Blondie here, and I'll be right back."

Edward nodded with a childish smile playing across his face. "You're the coolest!"

Once Bunny left, all was quiet for what seemed to be hours. Winry was wrapping yet another blanket around herself while Edward zipped his almost-worn-out sweater all the way up, cursing when his nose caught in the zipper for a split moment.

The silence fell thick over them, and awkwardness tumbled on top shortly after. It was Winry's voice that finally broke the abiding silence. "Ah- Um... Edward?"

Edward hummed in response.

"Er... Can you tell me more about us?"

Edward's head tilted in her direction with a confused stare. "What do you mean, Win? What do you want to know?"

"More... I want to know more." She mumbled nervously. "Tell me about the kind of relationship we had. Tell me about the time we'd spend together."

"Well, to be honest, Win," Edward started. "The times we _did_ spend together after our childhood isn't something to really speak of as a 'tale of great joy'. We went through lots of hardships, me and you."

"It doesn't matter!" She cried. "I just... Just look at me." She motioned towards her body. "Right now, everyone, including myself, just sees me as a helpless little girl with no past... and no future. I'm growing sick of it. I hate it." Winry cut herself off as she felt her voice cracking and helplessness seeping in, the back of her eyes burning with hot tears. Quickly she turned her head away as a sob escaped her lips.

"You don't understand how much it hurts to not know yourself. How could I ever possibly trust someone, how could I ever possibly have hopes of _loving_ someone if... If I can't trust or love myself?"

"There are tons of wonderful people out there, and in here, that you can rely on, Win."

Winry sniffed and rubbed her arms hesitantly. Edward gave her a toothy smile before walking over and sitting down close to her on the bed. He reached out with his gloved hand and tucked a strand of sun kissed hair behind her ears, feeling a slight flutter in his stomach as the backs of his fingers lightly brushed across her cheeks. "The same Winry I always knew." He whispered. "Whenever you felt just about ready to cry, you'd turn your head away and hide your face, because heaven forbid anyone found out you could be weak." With a nudge of her chin, he tilted her face up to meet his own smiling one. "But when will you ever learn? Crying isn't a sign of weakness. It just shows you still have something to lose. Doesn't that give you enough hope for your future?"

Winry blinked at the young man twice. She placed a hand over the one Edward had cupped her face with, and gently leaned into the blanketed metal.

"But... People won't always be around, will they?" she whispered. Edward was taken aback.

"People leave you... They lie, and hold secrets. They don't always trust you, but will expect you to always trust them... And when you finally think they'll be with you forever, they turn their backs on you for the second time, and -!" Winry clasped her mouth shut with her hands as a horrified expression shadowed over her face. "E-Edward! I'm sorry, I don't know where that came from, I...!"

Edward's eyes were wide open, and glued onto the blonde, but it seemed as if he were looking right through her. He felt trapped in an endless daydream, unsure of what to say or how to react. One thing he'd missed to consider were the return of her final emotions. Hurt, anger and confusion, all built up into one concoction of agony, ready to burst and spill all over her life, and his. Guilt found its way back into Edward's heart. _Keeping things from her is out of the question anymore, isn't it?_

"You were annoying, most of the time." The amber eyed male whispered. Winry blinked politely, earning a chuckle out of the boy. "You were a passionate person. Always going on and on about the stuff you loved, you know?"

"What kinds of stuff?" Winry asked, her features lifting slightly.

"You really liked machines, and such."

"Machines?" She repeated, with a twinkle in her eye. "Doctor Harriet once told me machinery is extremely complex... Was I a smart person?"

"Yeah, I suppose." The former alchemist chuckled with amusement.

"And... was I hopeful person?"

"You were."

"And do we have any good memories together?"

"Lots."

"Did I have any pets?"

"A dog named Den."

"Any close girlfriends?"

"You and a bookworm named Sheska were tight."

"Was I a good cook?"

"You baked a lot."

Winry's eyes trailed off from Edward's face to the ground. He noticed a light red tint in her cheeks. "Were you ever in love?"

Edward blinked and he felt a nervous knot twisting in the pit of his throat. She was asking about _him_ now? "Er... I never really had time to wonder. Why?"

"Was I ever in love?"

"I-I wouldn't know!" Edward blabbed.

Winry huffed in disappointment. "I'd have liked to know..."

"Well, maybe one day, you'll find out yourself." Edward said. Winry's smile grew from his comment.

"Looks like you're a really hopeful person too."

Edward chuckled tenderly, inching a little closer to the girl. "Now quiet down will you? You ask too many questions."

"Oh! One last one, please!" She begged with a playful puppy face, her bottom lip jutting out and trembling slightly. Edward scratched the back of his head in annoyance.

"Geez... What is it?"

"When was the last time you saw me?" She asked quickly, her blue eyes brimming with ecstasy and wonder. Edward felt his breath hitch and his body go cold. Winry seemed to notice his withdrawal, and her smile wavered slightly.

"Edward?"

_From her eyes spilled lone waterfalls, pooling around her body along with the red sea draining from her stomach, and her face was drenched with sweat. What could he do?_

"_ELRICGETUPANDHELPME! THESEMUGSAREREALLYHOTHOLYCRA P!"_ Bunny's obnoxious and pained cry interrupted the pair. Quickly, the former alchemist tore away from his childhood friend, and hurried over to help the poor doctor. He grabbed two mugs out of her hand, one containing hot cocoa, and the other containing hot water with lemon and a single mint leaf.

"No cocoa for Blondie number one." She breathed, whipping her hand in the air to cool it off. "Strict diet under watch of The Management, yours truly." Bunny said, bowing to both of them. Winry giggled and happily accepted the mug from Edward.

The two blondes sat silently for a while as Bunny chatted about 'that dreamy doctor with aquamarine eyes' talking to her about the possibilities of him being transferred to the long term wing, and how she'd told him he'd might as well quit, or something around those lines. After a few snarky remarks, and Edward reminding her she was engaged, Bunny finally settled down her mug and wiped her mouth on the back of her lab coat.

"So! When are your friends showin' up for madam here?"

"I called them last night and asked if they could show, and they should be here by the time I get home tonight." Edward replied.

Winry blinked in confusion. "H-Huh?" She mumbled. Bunny's eyes moved between the two.

"Uh? Ed, didn't you tell Blondie about her move? I already filed her release, you know..."

Edward blinked twice at the doctor and chuckled nervously. "Er... Yeah, about that..."

"_Edward!"_

"Sorry, sorry!" He cried, turning to Winry. "Hey, look, Win. I found you a new home. You'll be staying with some friends of ours for a while before Al can graduate and find a good job to help me provide for us."

"A... new home?" Winry repeated.

"Yeah." Edward smiled. "They're great people, and they don't live too far away, just a 2 hour drive, I'd say. I'll come visit you, and it'll be fine, alright?"

Winry shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but nodded nonetheless. Edward turned back to Bunny, who was scoffing at him, and reassured her everything would be fine. And everything _would_ be fine, wouldn't it? She had all these people looking out for her, providing for her, helping her.

So why did she feel like such a burden?

* * *

**A.N:** yeah, so, kind of an uneventful chapter, but we'll be seeing a lot of Kain and Noah in the chapters to come!

also, AIM has hit 50 reviews! yay! thank you everyone for being so kind and leaving reviews! Semester one has ended for me, which tones down the hysteria for a little while, so be expecting updates more frequently, and longer chapters!


	15. Chapter 15

It was nightfall by the time Kain's car pulled up in the asylum driveway. The outside air held the thick scent of wet pavement from the rainfall that had just seized and washed away most of the snow covering the grounds of London. It sent a humid touch to the biting cold, giving the area a relaxing sensation. Taking the rare chance, Kain slowly inhaled the unfamiliar air around him, a bittersweet memory of home stowed away in the back of his mind. Noah patiently pressed the door shut behind her as she exited the car, her tired eyes perking upon contact with said air. The Roma sighed. Perhaps a move to London should soon be underway.

"According to the directions, this is our stop." Kain mumbled audibly, his eyes skimming over the messy scrawl of notes on the crumbled paper he'd been keeping in his pocket for several hours.

"As it should be," Noah replied. "The sign says we're in the right place."

"So, we _are _in the right place." Kain stated, with quite the relief. Noah fastened the scarf around her neck, pulling it up slightly over her nose to cover most of her face. Kain grabbed her hand and gave her an empathetic, reassuring smile before pulling her quickly towards the building.

The doors through the entry were unbelievably heavy. It took all of Kain's strength (and pride) to open them with one hand while grasping Noah's hand with the other. The couple quickly entered the gloomy building, regretting doing so almost immediately after. They had barely taken two steps in before the waft of melancholy hit them like a wall. The hallway smelled of old medicine and moth balls, and seemed to continue on forever into something of a void. It was like a path to one's own doom. Noah swallowed her despair and Kain finally exhaled. Hopefully, they could find Edward soon without much difficulty, and get their sorry butts out of there in time to keep their sanity intact.

"Where do we go now?" Noah whispered.

"I'm not sure. I think their visiting hours are over, but I'm sure they can make exceptions... We were, after all, invited here."

Noah nodded, locking her arms around Kain's, ignoring the shiver running up and down her spine. The couple began to continue down the corridor, just as a young doctor, who looked far too busy and tired for his age, emerged from one of the rooms on the right side of the hall. Noah took a quick glance in just before the door clicked shut, hoping to catch a glimpse at what might have been a patient. To her disappointment, it seemed to have merely been a storage room for files.

The doctor blinked twice at the odd couple. He seemed terribly insecure. "Ah- M-May I help you?" He asked timidly. Noah cocked her head at his insecure voice. _A shameful person to own such beautiful aquamarine eyes!_

"_HEM!_, yes, we're looking for a doctor by the name of Elric. He was supposed to admit a former patient under our care."

The young man nodded, motioning for the couple to follow him. The trio continued a ways down the hallway, never making it all the way to the end as they turned around a sharp corner. Noah's heels clicked lightly on the clean marble floor. Her head began pulsing lightly as her eyes scanned her surroundings. It felt similar to what she'd been recently experiencing during her visions about Winry. A downhearted, miserable twinge of nausea hit her, her visions begging to be triggered.

No. That was wrong. They weren't visions. _Dreams, _they were dreams, yes. Dreams. It was simply impossible for them to be visions. Noah had, after all, abandoned all her psychic abilities after returning from Amestris. Unless her visions had some way of being conjured by her unconscious mind, there was no way she could be seeing visions again.

The young doctor noticed Noah clutching her fiancée's arms tighter with each coming step. A smile creeped over his face before a light chuckle escaped his lips.

"Madam, you needn't be so tense." He smiled. "This is the short term wing. Our patients here deal with amnesia, anxiety, depression and self harm. I assure you, they would be more willing to harm themselves than you."

Noah felt her face grow increasingly hot. She couldn't blame the poor man; he'd probably seen many people cringe in fear upon entering the asylum. Besides, she didn't exactly expect him to know of her problem. Clearing her throat, she mumbled a polite 'thank you' before averting her eyes to the ground in embarrassment. Kain and the doctor chuckled, both for his own reason, and finally came to a stop in front of a wooden door. It was slightly larger than that of the other doors, and seemed to be a dark mahogany. There was a golden plaque crested into the middle of the door, and seemed to be catching more attention than anything else in the hallway for that matter. The name '_Jacob H. Willis'_ was etched into it. _A fancy name for a fancy man_, Noah figured.

The young doctor proceeded to knock lightly on the door. "Mister Willis, sir?" he called. "We have visitors."

It wasn't long before the trio heard a joyful elderly voice from behind the menacing doors welcoming them in. Kain and Noah graciously stepped in, their handsome escort giving them a short bow as a cue of his leave.

As usual, Noah glanced around her as they entered the office. There was a simple Parisian rug placed on the floor just in front of the old man's desk, which had the same wooden material as the entryway. Bookshelves lined with paperwork, files, encyclopaedias and psychology textbooks were tucked cozily beside the large curtained window against the right side of the room. On the far back wall behind the desk was a large painting of a sailboat resting at docks, the sky shining a brilliant blue. Beneath the painting, on a wooden plaque, was written _Bluenose of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia._ Everything seemed so neat, organized, and calm. One wouldn't imagine that this was the office of the headmaster of an asylum.

The old man rose from his chair with a toothy smile pasted across his lips. He reached a hand out towards Kain. "Good evening!" He started. "I am Jacob Holdyn Willis. To what may I owe this pleasure?"

Kain shook the man's hand courteously. "Hello, Mr. Willis. I'm Kain Foster, and this is my wife, Nora."

Noah gave a short nod at the old man, who gave her a patient bow in return, followed by a lingering stare. The Roma shifted uncomfortably in her spot.

"I see. A pleasure, madam."

Kain cleared his throat and continued. "We've been called here by a good friend of ours – Edward Elric."

"Ah, Edward," Jacob grinned, leaning back in his chair. "A great asset to our hospital. He's a good kid. What business does he have with you folks, if you don't mind the question?"

"Not at all," Kain replied. "We're supposed to take a patient into custody for a while. She goes by the name of Winry Brockwell-"

"...Rockbell, dear." Noah squeaked, averting her eyes away from Jacob.

"...yes, Rockbell. She is an amnesiac patient whom Edward had been friends with before."

Kain shifted uneasily when he saw Jacob's shocked face. He exhaled only when the old man's face softened again.

"Ah, young Winry taking a leave, is she? I'm happy to see her life getting back on track. This could only have been destiny!"

Kain chuckled. "_HEM!_, excuse me, yes you are right. It truly is a miracle for Winry."

"Allow me to guide you to the lass' room now, shall I?"

The couple nodded, following the old man out of the office in relief. It looked and felt far too expensive and fancy for the likes of them.

"Ah, and Madam Nora?"

Noah jumped in her spot, but managed to squeak a small reply under her breath.

"Please do not be ashamed of who you are." The old man turned his head and gave her a grin. "I understand my people can be difficult with your race, but I assure you, my mind is like an open book that has yet to be finished! I'd have no problem adding in a few details of my character to make him a better person."

Noah blinked twice at the old man, dumbfounded, before a warm smile crept over her features and a light giggle escaped her throat. She lowered her hand from where it was holding her scarf over her face, and let the fabric droop and hang over her chest. _What an honourable man_, Noah thought to herself. _But how did he know...?_

The Roma tilted her head up to catch a glimpse at her partner, who was smiling boyishly and squeezing her hand.

"I hope I haven't embarrassed you." Jacob added quickly. Noah shook her head.

"No, no. Thank you, really. It is difficult to find one as open minded as you."

Jacob could just smile at the two. _Poor woman_ he thought to himself. _She must lock herself away in her house to avoid oppression. May God bless this young man for providing her the love and care she deserves._

The trio finally reached the room after climbing two simple flights of stairs, to Kain's relief. He'd tired himself out that day with all the thinking and tension. He couldn't fathom having to deal with physical obstacles as well.

The couple had expected Jacob to knock on the door, as the young doctor had when he'd lead the pair to his office. Instead, Jacob's hand dipped into his pocket, and withdrew a rusted silver key, which he then inserted into the keyhole of the cell – no, _room_ – door. _Of course, _Noah thought. _He must have access to all rooms of this hospital... What a vile gift to have. _

A click was heard, and Jacob swung the door open slowly, revealing a confused Edward, a smiling tan-skinned doctor who seemed to have paused mid-sentence upon their arrival, and a beautiful blonde woman seated on top of the bed, her pasty pallid skin shining under the light hanging solemnly from the ceiling.

"N-Noah! Kain!" Edward grinned, rising from his spot, and making his way towards the door. Behind him, the blonde girl looked away, shuffling abruptly towards the female doctor, who's eyes glanced between her and the newcomers. She then, bent down and whispered something inaudible into her ear.

"Hello, Edward." Kain smiled, shaking the blonde's hand formally. "How do you do, old friend?"

"Great now that you guys are here." He replied. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"Yes, well – _HEM!_"

"Still have that throat issue, old man?" Edward smirked.

"Lay off, Elric," Kain grunted. "I'm only a year or so older than you. Anyways, I'm not here to parent you. There's a number of things we need to discuss together." Kain glanced at Jacob and the female doctor. "Alone."

Edward's smirk slowly crumbled into a serious expression. He cleared his throat, nodding. "Yeah. I couldn't have expected you to have agreed right off the bat. You're the kind of guy who takes precautions, huh."

Kain nodded, his eyes glued patiently on Edward, urging him on. With a sigh, the former alchemist turned to Jacob and Harriet, a regretful expression on his face.

"Sorry, guys. If it's not an issue... I'd like to talk to me friends and Winry alone."

"Of course, Ed." Bunny replied, patting his shoulder. Jacob nodded, and the two stepped out of the room, clicking the door shut behind them. Edward's attention averted over to Winry, who shifted uncomfortably on her bed, fiddling with the linen until Edward sat down next to her. She then quickly scooted closer to him, burying her forehead at the back of his shoulders, and continuing to play with the hem of his shirt. Edward smiled warmly, and took her right hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. Winry's head perked upwards, nodding at the couple in front of her, still slightly tense to say anything. Noah's chest burned.

"Hello, Winry." Kain started, seating himself on the chain in front of the bed. "I hope you're well?"

" 'ess.." She mumbled in reply.

"Wonderful. So, I'd imagine you've heard about your new home by now, am I correct?"

The blonde nodded.

"Well, I'm Kain, and this is Nora – err, Noah. We'll take care of you until Edward is financially ready to have you live with him."

Winry's head finally lifted from Edward's should, meeting Kain's eyes. He was the type of person who emitted kindness and worth. He had short dark hair, cropped slightly at the top with a pair of spectacles perched comfortably on the bridge of his nose. He had a rather circular face, and his eyes were darker than the night sky. But through the darkness, Winry could see a light shining back to her. They reminded her of infinity.

The girl seated next to him, however, was peculiar. She was looking at her in such a moot manner, her fingers tightly intertwined, her lips pursed, and her eyes staring straight ahead. Looking at her gave Winry an unpleasant feeling, as if she'd seen her somewhere before. It was the kind of feeling that made your stomach flip, and your eyes meet the floor as you bit your lower lip, waiting in anticipation to escape from the person's field of vision. It, however, made Winry intrigued. Could this woman, perhaps, be her key to unlocking more of her memories?

"Yes, I understand." Winry replied, her eyes still glued onto the woman. "But I'm wondering if the two of you are financially ready yourselves. I don't want to be a burden, you see. I just want to survive while I progress." The couple blinked in surprise at how quickly her voice grew stiff. She was, however, still seated behind Edward, her lips barely grazing over his shoulder as she spoke. Edward felt her hot breath on the back of his neck, and felt the small hair stand upright. The former alchemist swallowed a nervous lump in his throat, feeling his cheeks flush.

Kain glanced at Noah, who had yet to say anything and cleared his throat. "Ah, yes, of course. Well, I'm certain we have enough to support the three of us – Edward and Alphonse will be sending money our way as well, to help us out. My only concern is your health."

Winry narrowed her eyes, not quite understanding the man. Kain exhaled.

"What I meant is – your medication. If there is certain medication you're required to take that involved several daily doses, I'd be concerned as to whether or not we'd be reliable resources for receiving them."

"She doesn't have any serious medication, Foster." Edward said, rubbing Winry's knuckles with his thumb in reassurance. "She had a bit of... problems with vomiting a while back, but she's as good as new now. I just ask that you make sure she gets enough exercise and fresh air."

Kain nodded understandingly. His eyes averted over to Noah, who had began fiddling with her fingers.

"Noah? You have a say in this as well. What do you think?"

Noah opened her mouth to speak, but felt her throat close shut. _This is all so overwhelming,_ she thought. _What would happen to her if I object? Would she live on the streets as a whore for the rest of her days?_ She shook her head. _No, Edward wouldn't let that happen._

"No?"

"Huh?" Noah jumped. Her heart raced as she felt her blood run cold. "N-No, I was just thinking! Of course I'm alright with it, I am, after all, the one who accepted to come here in the first place, right?"

Edward nodded with a blink. "Of course. Thank you, Noah."

"One last thing, Ed..." Noah mumbled.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Alphonse." She said bluntly. Edward raised an eyebrow.

"What of him?

"He can't stay in the dark forever, you know."

Edward nodded, understanding. "I know. And he wont. I just... I don't think I can handle him being torn up like that again."

The trio made quick, awkward glances at Winry, before Edward cleared his throat. "I guess Bunny and I should start packing her things now."

Kain nodded, pulling Noah towards the door. _How did we end up agreeing to this mess?_

* * *

Bunny was silent during the packing. There was no doubt that the doctor had grown an emotional attachment to Winry, despite knowing her for only a short while. She was sad to see her go, but knew it was for the best.

"Edward." She said, her eyes glued to the clothing she was folding. Edward turned and glanced at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You'd better keep me posted." Bunny sighed, looking him in the eyes. "I want to know how she's progressing, alright?"

Edward scratched the back of his head hesitantly. "Gee, I don't know, Bun. Things might get crazy again and I don't want to-"

"Look, I didn't ask for your sympathy, alright?" Bunny snapped. "I want to know her progression, you hear? Released or not, I'm still her doctor."

Edward's mouth hung open for a while before her nodded, clearing his throat. "Y-Yeah. You're right, Bunny. Sorry. I'll tell you everything."

Bunny nodded, handing him Winry's suitcase. Winry stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in the new clothing provided to her by Harriet. She wore a red trench coat with a white scarf and black leggings. Brown woolly boots adorned her feet. Bunny grinned and let out a whistle. Winry chuckled.

"Do I look alright?"

Bunny glanced at Edward, whose eyes were wide. He seemed star struck to see her in something other than plain gray hospital t-shirts. The doctor chuckled. She was still curious as to what the real relationship between the two was.

"You look beautiful, darling." She replied, almost in a whisper.

Edward smiled sadly as the doctor approached the blonde, wrapping her arms around her small body. Seemed like things were ending in tears once again.

* * *

"Are we all ready?" Kain asked, tossing Winry's suitcase into the backseat. Edward nodded.

"Take care of yourself." Noah said, squeezing Edward's hand.

"Yeah, right back at you, both of you." He replied, turning to Winry. "...And especially you. I can't have anything bad happening to you."

Winry's shoulders lowered as Edward stared at her with a rock solid face. He almost seemed scary to look at.

"I'm serious, Winry. I can't afford to lose you again." He coughed.

Winry felt her cheeks sizzle slightly, and nodded. "Right... Thank you, Edward. For all your help, I mean. Really, it means a lot."

The blonde stepped over and wrapped her arms around Edward's neck, pulling him close. Edward's response was quick, his left arm snaked around her waist, and his right hand pushing the back of her head closed to his chest. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the alluring scent of strawberries and mint, what once used to also have the lingering aroma of mechanics oil. She was warm, and her frame fit perfectly in his arms. She was right where she belonged, but not quite where she was meant to stay. Not yet, anyways.

The two pulled away from each other, smiling sadly. Winry hoisted herself up on her tiptoes, and planted a chaste kiss on Edward's cheek.

"Bye-bye, Ed." She smiled, turning around and jogging towards the waiting car, missing Edward's shocked, yet red, face. Edward waved after her, forgetting she couldn't see, and placing his opposite hand on Winry's kiss.

Her heart thumped wildly in her chest. _Why did I do that?_ She thought. _It... It just felt like the right thing to do... It felt so natural... Edward... I'll find out who you are. I'll find out who I am. And then, we'll be together forever._

In the car, Noah's chest burned.

* * *

**A.N:** Told you guys - faster updates, and longer chapters! This is the longest chapter I've written yet, and some pretty significant things happened, no? Stay tuned, though - there's A LOT coming your way...

please review!


	16. Chapter 16

There was one last rainfall before Bunny left the hospital that night. It lifted a heavy fog that blanketed over most of London's streets. It was one of those fogs that made you realize anyone could get away with anything. A murder, a kidnapping, theft, drug dealing... It was one of those nights that reminded you of the fallacies you once had as a child, those nights you were supposed to be asleep, but instead you'd creep to where your parents were watching a late night film noir. They had warned you it wasn't suitable for you, that you were too young, but of course you didn't listen. You wanted to be a grown up, and you _were _a grown up. The fact that you spent the night in your parents' bed trembling in fear just simply didn't count, it wasn't important. But that was all at the back of Bunny's mind, guarded by her heavier thoughts which seemed to be circulating around the blonde girl she had bid farewell a mere hour before. It had taken a lot out of her. Even after she'd left, Edward still insisted on discovering who the culprit was who caused everyone to go through so much trouble. It had taken a lot of convincing, as it always had with that boy, to get him to go home to his younger brother. It seemed like Edward was slowly beginning to forget he even had one, and it frustrated Bunny to high extents. There was a time in his life all he'd focused on was his brother, and it had lead to this fiasco. Now, he'd flipped to the other side of the coin. He was a selfish, headstrong, arrogant fool, that boy. And yet, Bunny was thinking all this, as if she'd known him all her life. But somewhere deep inside of her, she couldn't help but want to believe that somewhere, some day, in Edward and Winry's world, she had been a trusted friend of theirs.

"Here's your stop, madam. 20 pounds will be fine."

Bunny paid the taxicab driver with a thank you, stepping out into the fog just steps away from her front door. Although the bleak white clouds frightened her, the doctor stood still on the sidewalk, even seconds after she could no longer hear the screeching tires of the cab. Her eyes trailed upwards to her front door that looked the exact same as it had the day before. Just a few moments of silence was all she needed. It felt so peaceful. A sanctuary in the midst of insanity.

Stepping inside, she saw the same flower vase sitting somberly on the same birch table, with the same torn envelopes scattered across it. Some showed the same bills as she'd seen a month before, and others showed advertisements to some upcoming festival she was less than interested to attend. Her feet thumped softly against the same Parisian rug her fiancée had gotten from France about a year before on his way back from Germany. She had remembered how much she'd missed him. The bastard didn't write to her even once. But now, with Winry gone for good, everything really _was_ going back to normal. The fantasy life she'd always wanted. The hero she'd always aspired to be. In a few years, her patients probably won't even remember her name. She'll just be 'my doctor during the worst years of my life'. Then, they'd forget all about such a dark time in their lives, and scurry on living, while she continued to lack impact on anyone. It was almost unfair, but just almost. It had been her own fault. She was the one who wanted to be the hero. She was the one who refused to grow up. To ever believe she could be anything but normal. It was ridiculous.

"Harriet?" A husky voice called from the living room, interrupting her tasteless thoughts. Bunny turned to find the source of the voice, sitting in an armchair, just across from the fireplace. He held a hot mug in one hand, and a newspaper in the other. He was reading over the headlines about the famous Jewish cinematographer and film director Fritz Lang. The man didn't even bother turning his head to greet his fiancée. _What a romantic gesture there, 'darling'. Yeesh..._

"Hey, Emil." She yawned, dragging her feet across the ground, and falling flat on top of the sofa. She heard his paper shuffle, and that was enough for her to know he was staring at her as if she were an odd alien species. He was just always so uptight and serious.

"Tired, I take it?"

"Exhausted." She huffed. She rose from her position to face the dark haired man. The pause between them was almost awkward. "...I, um... discharged one of my patients today. Great, huh?"

She felt him suddenly tense in surprise without peeling his eyes away from his paper. "Oh, yeah? That's great, not to mention rare. Good to know yet another person has regained sanity under watch of my girl." He replied with a slight tug of his lips.

Bunny smirked, feeling a knot of pride tie itself deep in her core. "Yeah, I s'pose so. I mean, wasn't anything I couldn't handle."

Emil nodded silently. "Which patient was it? Was it that young boy who attempted suicide and tried cutting himself with the Styrofoam plate you used to serve him dinner?"

Bunny narrowed her eyes at him. "No, that wasn't a boy! That was little Margo Hawking, the little girl who tried cutting herself with Styrofoam! She was released last year, Emil... And the boy who attempted suicide is still under watch, he's getting a lot better. I'm not his main doctor anymore, though. I only visit him once every two weeks. His doctor is this guy with the most _amazing_ aquamarine eyes-"

Emil narrowed his eyes at her.

"Er, anyways, it wasn't him either. It was Mute Blondie. Remember me telling you about her?"

"Yes, I remember her. Where did she go, though?"

Bunny blinked. "Why does it matter?"

"You said she was an amnesiac who was mute." He replied bluntly. "Where could she have possibly gone? Did someone adopt her? Didn't you say she was in her twenties? Do people even adopt twenty year olds...?"

Bunny snorted. "Nah, funny story about that, actually. Edward knew her from before, they were... uh, long lost friends or something." Bunny paused to release a long yawn. "He got a nice young couple from Kent to take her in until he could gather enough money to support the two of them plus his brother. Friends of his, they are."

Emil cleared his throat and nodded, wrapping up the newspaper and putting it away. "Good, good. Now come. You must be exhausted."

"Am I ever." Bunny moaned.

* * *

Winry had tried her best not to feel awkward, but resistance seemed to be futile. Kain had spent the entire car ride trying to convince her that "their home was her home". But of course, she knew that wasn't true. Just by first glance, she could tell this couple was struggling. The woman, with skin as bronze as a rusted penny, and the man, the purple bags under his eyes sentinel among his porcelain, stubby face looked as poor as they'd come. They were kind people, though. She could tell.

But sometimes, the kindest people were the most pitiful. And the saddest part was that Winry knew that her sympathy couldn't do anything for them. She'd have to try and make it up to the couple as much as she possibly could. Perhaps taking on a job, or running errands. She was tired on being locked up indoors. She wanted to get her hands dirty. With what in particular, she was unsure of.

Soon enough they'd pulled into the driveway. Winry let out a loose yawn of relief, practically _feeling_ the bags under her eyes forming. Her eyelids felt like two anvils, tugging in the direction of one another. Kain gently began shaking Noah awake, who had fell asleep about a half hour before, claiming she had a bad headache. The bronze skinned woman let out a few moans of what seemed to be pain, creating a pang of worry in Winry's chest. Kain had apparently noticed her tense, and gave her a sheepish glance before dipping his hands into the pocket of his trench coat.

"Er... Here, love," he said, handing her a gold key. "Why don't you go inside with your luggage and make yourself comfortable. I'll help Noah inside, yes? I'll show you to your new room in a moment."

Winry complied, pulling her moderately sized suitcase indoors. The house was small, but cozy from the inside. There were no stairs in sight; it was a simple one floor quarter. The living room was just steps away from the entrance, and the kitchen blatantly right next to it. There were three other doors, two right across the living room from the entrance, and one to the side. There were about a half dozen boxes stacked at the corner of the living room, each labelled differently. The bedroom door to the side of the house was open, revealing a single bed, a curtained window, a dresser and a small circular bedside table with a vase of fake purple and yellow flowers plucked inside. They appeared to be real, unlike the ones they kept in her room back at the institute. The other two doors were closed. She figured they were the master bedroom and the bathroom. _A peachy place..._ Winry thought. She'd enjoy getting used to living here. It was far better than the hospital, which was for sure. Besides, she'd only have to stay here for a short while. Edward would soon be coming for her, and she would soon figure out who she was and how she'd gotten where she is now. Winry sighed, slipping off the brown woolly boots Doctor Harriet had gotten her, and sinking slowly onto the bouncy couch in the living room. Within mere seconds, Kain bustled in with an unconscious Noah in his arms. Winry sprang up in surprise.

"I-Is she alright?!" she cried.

Kain nodded in embarrassment. "Yes, she's fine, no need to worry! This happens often. She has really bad migraines sometimes, and... well..."

Winry felt her heart sink. What had she gotten herself, and these poor people into? It seemed like they needed more help than she did.

"Sorry about this... Er, can you get that door opened for me, please?"

Winry ran to one of the two doors on the front wall of the house, turning and pushing open the one Kain had motioned to. The man silently thanked her with a nod.

_Such a kind man._ Winry thought to herself. She made her way back to her couch, while silent rustling noises could faintly be heard from the master bedroom. She could barely heard Kain's soft voice whispering to the Roma, before a tender _smooch_ was heard as he left the room, a smile just barely tugging his lips with a warm blush on his cheeks.

"Here, Winry, you can hang your coat up here." He said, placing his own on an impressive looking coat rack. "Made it myself, I did." He chuckled. Winry smiled, slipping her trench coat off, yet another article of clothing obtained from Doctor Harriet.

"Thank you, Mr. Foster," Winry began. "I really appreciate everything you're all doing for me... I'm, uh, not sure what I've done exactly to deserve all this, but, well... Thank you."

Kain smiled, motioning for her to take a seat. "It isn't what you've done for us really... It's more of a chain reaction." He chuckled. "The Elrics owe you, we owe the Elrics."

"They owe me?" Winry asked. Kain nodded with a smile, making his way to the kitchen. Winry figured he wasn't planning on telling her _why_ exactly they owed her.

"Fancy some tea before bed?"

"Ah... Um, hot water and lemon would do fine, thank you." She responded.

"I hope you don't feel awkward or embarrassed at all, Winry." Kain said, placing the kettle on the stove and exiting the kitchen. "We really are happy to have you. I just hope you don't get bored during your stay here..." Kain scratched the back of his head sheepishly. He pulled a chair out from under the dinner table, placing it across from Winry and taking a seat.

"Oh! Not at all, Mr. Foster! I'm just glad to have somewhere else to stay other than that hospital!" Winry exclaimed. "I would really like to earn my place here, though... I could go out and get a job, even. Anything to earn me some money, or keep me occupied... I should be fine from there!"

Kain rubbed his chin. "A job, eh? Well, I guess that could kill time nicely... And keep you busy."

Winry smiled. "That'd be wonderful!"

"How do you like books, Winry?" Kain asked, making his way back to the kitchen upon hearing the screeching of the kettle.

"Books?"

_Had _she liked books? Winry could faintly remember a number of complex terms and pictures of anatomy plastered across a page from a point in her past. She also remembered light scratch dents in her fingers, caused by turning the rough pages of old texts and literary novels. Regardless, the endless pictures of anatomy and lists of terms proved she had once spent a majority of her time reading. _So, I guess I do?_

"Y-Yeah. I suppose I do, I think."

"Great." Kain grinned, walking back and handing her a steaming mug. "There's a bookstore just down the road that's in need of some new employees. They had a couple students working for them a few months ago, but they quit when summer ended and universities began classes again. Maybe a young face would do them justice."

"Sounds great, Mr. Foster!" Winry exclaimed, sipping her drink. "I could make do with a peaceful place to start off at, anyway... You know, considering."

Kain nodded with a smile. The pair sipped their drinks in silence for several moments, taking in the calm air of home. It was much more welcoming than the cold draft of the institute. But as calming and homely the environment was, Kain could still sense some unrest within Winry.

"You know, if the three of us are going to live together, we're going to have to trust one another." Kain said. "If there's anything bothering you, there's no shame in letting us know."

Kain had expected Winry to wince in embarrassment, and frantically deny him of her wariness, but to his surprise, she barely even twitched. She spent a short while staring into her mug before lowering it back down to her lap with a sigh.

"Mr. Foster, I... I don't want to sound like a suspicious something-or-other, but... I can't help but feel as if the whole world is keeping something from me."

It took Kain all his willpower to cover up his choke.

"I mean, I have no idea who I am, or who anyone else is... I'm just blindly trusting people. Is that the right thing to do, I wonder?" She said. "Doctor Harriet is my doctor, that's for sure. Edward is my childhood friend, and so is his brother. But what else? What else can I know about them? What were my parents' names? Are they still looking for me? Are they alive? Where did I meet Edward and his brother Alphonse? Where am I from? Where are _they_ from? How did we get sep-"

"Alright, alright, slow down there." Kain interrupted, motioning for her to stop. "Let's take life one day at a time, shall we? I understand there are a lot of questions stirring up in your head right now, but you need to keep it together. Trust is what is saving you right now, Winry." Kain said, stirring his tea. "You have all the right to be suspicious about everything and everyone, and I really can't imagine what you're going through right now. I understand that Edward has a tendency to take matters into his own hands without considering the feeling of others, and that might be wrong. You just have to remember he wants the best for you, especially since he's lost you once already."

"Everyone keeps saying that." Winry chuckled with lack of amusement. "But I'd really like to know how exactly he lost me... But everyone keeps denying me the truth. It's frustrating."

"I wish I could tell you, I really do." Kain said sadly. "But it isn't my story to tell, Winry. Please understand that."

"I... understand." The silence hung in the air once again. "Mr. Foster, in the car, you said you're a doctor, correct?"

Kain nodded.

"Is that what you've always wanted to do?"

The young man chuckled, slapping his mouth shut almost immediately with a nervous glance at his bedroom door. "Ah, if ten years ago you told me I'd be doing this in the future, I'd tell you to go hang yourself dry. My uncle was a doctor as well... After my father died and my mother was practically living off of garbage scraps as food and drapes as our blankets, my uncle offered to take us in. Promised he'd fill in the void my father left behind. And boy, did he try. Never once thought of him as a father though. More as a... dictator."

"So, what did you do before this, then?" Winry asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I was a rocket scientist in training." He smiled. "That's actually how I met Noah, Edward and Al. I was a good friend of Edward and another young man we used to know. We all worked together..."

"Edward used to study rocket science?" Winry gasped.

"Never would've believed it, huh? Well, the two of us gave up on it after a, uh... accident with that other friend of ours. It was just never the same."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Winry said.

"As am I." Kain replied softly, clicking his teaspoon at the edge of his mug.

"So, Mr. Foster..." Winry whispered nervously. "Did you, um, know me from before?"

"I didn't, no." He answered regretfully. "But I'm sure that if I did, maybe in another life, I'd have known you as an attentive person."

Winry smiled, but Kain didn't.

* * *

**A.N:** Faster updates, she said. I'll totally update weekly, she said. I'M SO SORRY OTL

But, I really am trying to make the chapters longer, at least 3000 words per chapter! In this one, Winry and Kain did a little bonding! ^-^ Honestly, at first, I didn't even try to make Kain's character similar to Kain Furey in the actual FMA, he was just gonna be some random OC. But I really like his character, like a LOT. I guess he could be like an older brother figure to lil ol' Winry here (':

REVIEWWWWWWW


	17. Chapter 17

_**READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT THE END*********_

* * *

The first morning Winry had woken up in that house was extremely cliché. Her eyes had fluttered open at the sound of birds chirping, as a ray of sunlight bled through the curtains and fell upon her pale complexion of a face. _What time is it, anyway?_ She thought to herself. Her bed seemed unnaturally comfortable compared to what she used to sleep on, which would be considered a slab of stone. She turned her head to the side to catch a glimpse at the small clock Kain had so generously placed at her bedside. The smaller hand pointed downwards, just a ways past the _VI_ and the longer hand pointed straight to the _III._ 6:15. Doctor Harriet had taught her a lot about Roman numerals during her stay at the hospital. In fact, it was the first interesting conversation they had had when she was placed there. It was after her bought of depression and anxiety, and she had been more interested in the machinery such numerals were printed on rather than the actual scripture. Doctor Harriet had regretfully told her she didn't know much about machinery, and had requested another doctor from Mr. Willis, who was more knowledgeable with such things, come in and help her. And he had. She didn't remember much about him, other than his incredible aquamarine eyes. He seemed to know a lot about clockwork though. Poor man, he'd been so puzzled when she wouldn't answer a single thing he'd say to her.

Winry sat up straight in her bed, arching her back and allowing a slight grunt to escape her lips as she stretched arms upwards to the ceiling. Exhaling, the blonde rubbed her eyes and wiggled her toes a few times. She giggled. Kain and Noah had really gone out of their way to make her feel comfortable. Such a comfortable bed, such a cozy room, such a welcoming house. It hadn't quite sunk in yet that she wasn't in the hospital anymore, under strict surveillance and diets, locked away in a room, isolated from the world like...

Like one of those perfect pretty girls the evil witches always wanted.

"Excuse me?" a small voice called from behind the door, followed by two gentle knocks. "Uh... Are you awake?"

Winry immediately sprang up, flattening out her night gown, patting down her hair, and rubbing her face, hoping to rid most of the excess drool or eye crust left from her sleep.

"Y-yes! Please, come in!"

The door opened to reveal a concerned looking Noah, who began giggling once she caught sight of the blonde. Winry's shoulders slumped. _W-Well, I tried..._

"Oh, don't look so glum. You just have a, uh, _loop_ of hair at the top of your head." The Roma walked over with a sympathetic, yet amused, look on her face. Winry felt her play with a strand of hair on her head before she stepped back.

"There. You look... good. You know, considering." She smiled nervously.

"No need to be embarrassed, Miss... um..."

"Just call me Noah. You don't have to be so formal." She smiled, walking out the door and motioning for Winry to follow. The blonde trotted behind the woman willingly.

"The bathroom is over here, dear, right next to mine and Kain's room. You can wash up and get ready. I'll make breakfast. Kain will be up soon."

Winry nodded and thanked the woman, tiptoe-jogging her way to the bathroom. The bathroom was rather large in comparison to the rest of the house. There was a long counter going from the door to the toilet. The counter itself seemed to be made from a cheap stone material, with steel for the faucet. There was flower incense, much like the one she had back at the hospital, placed next to the sink with a tall cup of toothbrushes and a small tin of toothpaste. Above was a closed cupboard. Winry opted not to open it. She'd invaded the couple of their privacy enough already. Across the toilet, built into the wall, was the bath, fixed with a showerhead over top and green drapes with a yellow leaf patterning. The tiles on the floor were a sandy brown colour, and felt cool under her bare feet. _I should probably find myself some slippers soon..._

Winry turned the tap slowly, a light _squeak_ echoing from the handle. She had slowly lost count of how many times she'd splashed water on her face. She felt her worries being washed down the drain along with the water, and hadn't realized how _good_ cold water had felt on her skin. She'd always opted for the extra hot shower. It always tired her out and helped her sleep better, but feeling awake was oddly satisfying.

Turning around to grab a face towel, she found herself staring at her own reflection. It was a full body mirror pressed tightly against the wall, practically built in. It the dangerous kind that could do wonders to the human mind. It allowed you a full look at yourself, from head to toe, and a little more, even, to catch every single flaw, flab, and crooked tooth. Winry's tired eyes scanned herself. She hadn't quite gotten a good look at herself for quite the long time.

She was thin. Sickly thin, but with rather wide hips that proved she could be curvier with a bit more meat on her bones. She had long legs and moderately sized feet, stretched fingers that showed green veins and prominent collar bones. Her blonde hair had grown incredibly long, stretching well past her thighs in a stream of lanky blonde hair. She could make out the repulsive split ends and blandness of colour (perhaps it had once been a beautiful sunshine blonde?). Finally, her rather large eyes were blue, but just blue. Not a deep oceanic hue that emanated life or the kind of blue that would show you the sky if you were to squint well enough. No. Just blue.

Her entire look just shouted _bland._ She was a bland girl, a bland person. She was the kind of person who you'd simply walk past on the street, without a second glance, or a second thought about the fact that she may be another person, living life day to day, having people care for her, and having people she cares about. The only peculiar thing about her was the odd tattoos embellished across her stomach. They were visible now, through the wet portions of her white nightgown that the water droplets from her face had fallen onto. Slowly, Winry lifted her gown up to get the first good look at the odd patterns for the first time.

It was unlike anything she'd seen before, and it made no sense. On the far left of her stomach was a long line of scripture, boxed inside a thin rectangle going from the bottom of her breast straight down to her thigh. Next to it was a vertical consecutive pattern of circles inside of large triangles, with smaller triangles inside the circles. Then, there was a long line, breaking the flow of the odd patterns. The pattern then continued on the opposite side of the line, consisting of more odd scripture, seemingly written in a foreign extinct language, in two perfectly spaced out columns. Finally, across all of this was a large triangle, covering her entire lower torso, with an eye smacked on the dead-centre. There was another circle surrounding it like a force field, connected to each edge of the triangle. Winry gently traced the outline of the largest triangle with her index finger, slightly shuddering at her own cold and wet touch. This was the reason she was here right now, with Kain and Noah. This tattoo was the reason. There was a man in search of her at that very moment, she knew. Winry hadn't seen the last of him, and no matter how much she could deny that, no matter how far away Edward would send her, she knew it wouldn't be over until that man was caught.

"Winry" Noah's voice came from behind the door. "Are you alright in there?"

Winry gasped, dropping her gown and opening the door. "Yeah, sorry. I zoned out there for a minute."

"Don't worry about it; I just wanted to let you know breakfast is ready." Noah smiled. Winry nodded, flicking off the lights witch. She'd have time to her thoughts later on in the day.

"I'll just go change and come. It'll only be a second!" she called, trotting off into her room and closing the door behind her. Winry opened the drawer to reveal her new clothes, all bought by Doctor Harriet. She settled for a pair of dark blue trousers, paired off with a loose white t-shirt. The looser the better, she thought with a sigh. At least until she gained some weight.

By the time she stepped out, Kain was seated at the table with Noah exiting the kitchen with a tray of hot mugs. Winry silently hoped Kain had told her she didn't drink anything besides hot water and lemon. When Noah placed her mug down, a wave of relief flooded over her, as she realized he had. Bless him.

The trio ate quietly, the wide variety of breads and jam that Noah had (so kindly) placed before them. There were hardboiled eggs, one for each of them, with a number of thinly stripped bacon, whole wheat toast bought from the baker down the road, and homemade jam Noah had put so much effort into.

"My adoptive grandmother taught me how to make this when I was very young," she explained with a distant look in the eyes. "Although those days aren't ones to really reminisce with happiness, she made them more bearable..."

Kain's eyes were glued to yesterday's paper he hadn't gotten a chance to read, due to the long trip they'd taken. The headline at the front of the newspaper that was facing Winry read _'Fritz Lang Questioned by German-English Man Assumed to be Representative from Disbanded Thule Society'._

"Who are Fritz Lang and the Thule Society?" Winry asked aloud, scrunching her face as she spoke, as if the names felt extremely distasteful to the tongue. Kain ignored the worried glance Noah gave him, and kept his eyes glued to the paper.

"Fritz Lang is a famous Jewish film director." He answered, putting the paper away and chugging the rest of his tea. Winry waited for him to continue, but it seemed like he wasn't going to tell her who the Thule Society was. She let out a silent huff of irritation. It seemed like everyone had a secret to keep from her.

"Winry, I still have some time before I have to set out for work. Why don't we go down to the library together so you can check it out? You know, see if it suits your fancy or not." Kain said.

Winry grinned with a nod, disregarding the _Thule Society_ subject, or whatever they were called. "That would be great, Mr. Foster!"

"You can call me Kain, you know, Winry." He grinned. "I'm not much older than you, you know. No need for formalities."

Winry chuckled nervously, rising from her chair to help carry the things back to the kitchen with Noah. Half an hour later, Kain and Winry said their farewells to Noah at the door.

"You could come..." Winry heard Kain whisper to Noah, placing a hand on her waist. Noah smiled sadly at him, tightening his tie and flattening out his collar.

"You _know_ I can't..." She whispered back, taking a quick glance at Winry, who didn't bother looking upwards and pretend to be fiddling around with her boot buckles to avoid any unneeded discomfort. "As long as s_he's_ safe, we shouldn't have anything else to worry about for now, Kainan."

"You can't be caged up at home forever, you know." The spectacled man huffed in irritation. Noah chuckled, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"If only everyone were like you."

As Winry and Kain walked down the street, Winry stole occasional glances at the man. His expression was different every time. First he seemed disappointed by something, then angry, then disregarding, then mildly irritated. It was amusing, but not in the funny way. More in the admirable way. The man wore his thoughts on his sleeve, and yet he still held an intimidating appeal.

"Don't worry, Kain_._" Winry said, startling the man. "The world will change over time. We just need to keep living life one day at a time, right?"

Kain stared at her for a moment before smiling with a nod.

* * *

"Just drop it, Al."

"It isn't a _sin_ to tell me things from time to time, you know."

"When had I ever cared about sinning for this to be the second time? I'm telling you Al. Just drop it."

Edward and Alphonse had been bickering for what seemed to be the twentieth time that week. The brothers seemed to find one another more and more irritating as the days progressed. This argument in particular, however, was considered to be one of their more civil ones. The more intense fights had resulted in Alphonse storming out of the house at the middle of the night, shouting atrocities along the lines of 'I don't even need you' and 'I'll find a more decent job and go live on my own', followed by whispered mumbles of how he deserved every guilty feeling he'd received from the day Winry had died. But he'd only whisper the last remark with scarce audibility so only he could hear it, because deep down somewhere among the thousands of hateful things he felt about his brother at that moment, there was still a source of undying love for the only family member he had left. He was now a boy of twenty one years, who attended university classes during the day, and dealt with drunk rejects at night. As if the stress of university and the frustration of lowly drunks weren't enough to set him off already, Edward dared to hop onto his last remaining nerves and perform a salsa routine fit for kings. No doubt, Edward's superiority complex and Alphonse's youthful habits drove both of them mad. It hadn't made anything better when Edward decided not to share the reason why he had never came to pick Alphonse up from work the previous night, and had left the poor young man to walk home seventeen blocks at half past twelve in the morning. It truly had begun to break Alphonse's heart that he and his brother were going through such a rough patch in their lives. So, for that reason, Alphonse would occasionally try to be more civil with their arguments when he wasn't ready to give his brother a nice sock in the nose.

"Well, I hope you had a good time, wherever you were." He said briskly with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Edward huffed in irritation, his fingers tightening around the steering wheel.

"I told you, Al. I was at work last night. I can promise you that." He said. Edward turned into the university lot, encircling a fancy statue of a man whom he presumed was its founder.

"Here's your stop, your Majesty."

"You don't have to drive me if you don't want to you know." Alphonse hissed, reaching under the seat for his briefcase. Edward raised an eyebrow at him.

"You willing to wake up at 5:30 every day just to catch the streetbus? Didn't think so."

"Look, I don't know what your deal is today, but you're really acting like a child, Edward." Alphonse said, frowning at his brother. "I really wouldn't mind waking up earlier if this is such an inconvenience for you."

"It's no inconvenience."

"Then why the stupid comments?!" Alphonse cried.

Edward shrugged with a yawn. "Just get out, Al. I gotta get to work."

Alphonse immediately did as he was told, slamming the door shut behind him and mumbling something that sounded to Edward like "Who are you, anyway?" There was a brief sting in Edward's chest, but it passed away quick enough. He huffed in irritation. _What the hell is his problem?_

But all the same, Edward couldn't help but feel the least bit guilty as well. He _had_ been distancing himself from Alphonse in the past few weeks that he'd started work with Bunny and Winry. Not to mention how he still hadn't mentioned to Alphonse that Winry was, indeed, alive still. But how could he? Alphonse had enough worries on his mind at the moment. One more wouldn't do him much justice. Edward finally reached the conclusion that he was doing so for the safety of his brother. Yes, that seemed about right.

The blonde finally swerved into his reserved parking space at the institute. He'd promised Bunny he'd have lunch with her that day. His morning schedule consisted of a teenage girl name Heather who was suffering from anxiety attacks regularly and a boy named Mitch in his nineteenth year recovering from anorexia nervosa. The poor boy had been bullied into starvation, and the girl had been in a car accident that had killed her father, leaving her with a stepfather who constantly ridiculed her for her lack of beautiful physique. After lunchtime, he'd have several reports to file concerning his other patients, along with discussing with the dietician the meals he'd have to have programmed for Mitch in the next upcoming week. Seemed simple enough for him. He'd been doing it for quite a while now, and he was quite sure of a lot of things in his life at the moment. Things were going smoothly enough, but for some reason or another, he still felt something missing. It was a feeling that hadn't occurred to him even once when he was treating Winry. He still had clear memories of her curious blue eyes, those large, dashing blue eyes that were a deep oceanic hue, and would show you the depth of her core wrapped in infinity if you were to squint well enough. Her long sun kissed hair like strings of gold he'd be more than willing to pay a fortune for if it meant just one run through it with his pinky finger. That pale, porcelain complexion, her supple lips that would sing the music his heart danced to (although it sounded like talking from time to time), the long fingers he'd kill to interlace with his own. She was simply fascinating; everything about her was fascinating and amazing to him, and it set aflame to his cheeks to be thinking about his childhood friend in such a manner. But there was a limit as to how much he could deny anything to himself, and even his days in Amestris were spent in deep concentration to keep her off his mind. He'd remember Nina Tucker asking him who the mysterious girl was he would write letters to, and how Alphonse would tease his apparent deep sexual desires of the blonde who would turn heads with a mere giggle. But things were different in Amestris; he had different priorities. But now, she was his main priority. And he'd be damned if he let her slip from between his fingers again.

"Good day today, Mitch." The man concluded, gathering his clipboard with a smile. "You're getting a lot better. Now how about some lunch?"

"Thanks, Dr. Elric. That sounds good right about now. I'm feeling... good today." The boy smiled sleepily.

"Great to hear, kid." Edward chuckled. "Besides, I heard they're serving hot borscht today with rye. You like that stuff, don't you?"

"Yeah." Mitch's smile widened.

It wasn't difficult to spot Harriet at the staff cafeteria. She'd been sitting at the exact same spot they'd always met at.

"Hey, Bunny."

"Hey, Elric." Bunny replied.

"Feeling bummed about Winry still?"

"Call me dramatic, but I had quite the bond with that girl."

Edward nodded with a smile. "Anyone could've told."

"Told your brother about it yet?" Bunny asked, picking at her salad.

"Nah. We got into a little fight this morning."

Bunny stopped picking at her lunch and eyed Edward with a frown. "You two seem to be doing a lot of that lately."

Edward shrugged. "We're both young males. Stuff like that happens when you get to this age with someone you're comfortable around."

"Fair enough, but just hear me out, Ed." Bunny said sternly. "You'd better keep an eye out for that brother of yours. You don't want to turn a complete blind eye on him like you did Winry back in Am... God, _that_ place. I know this must sound ridiculous coming from someone you met a few months ago, but I don't want you making the same mistake again, alright?"

Edward snorted. "Why so serious, Bunny Rabbit? Come on, he's my brother. I could never forget about him. There's just a lot on my mind."

Bunny shrugged with a sigh. "Fair enough."

* * *

**A.N: **AN UPDATE WITHIN A WEEK! I'm going to try and update weekly from now on, with longer chapters, for the convenience of my darling readers! (': It's almost been a year since I started AIM (I know, I was dumbfounded). But, getting on with the more _**IMPORTANT STUFF...**_

Before I started this story, I was thinking about this for a while, but wasn't sure if I wanted to or not. Would you guys want me to add a lemon in this story? There IS a way I could do so, with the storyline still flowing nicely. Obviously, it would be between Edward and Winry. I initially didn't choose to because I had no prior experience with writing lemons, but I wrote a separate story that included a lemon, and it got a positive reaction, so I guess I'm not that shy anymore. *heh*. but, then again, its depending on what my readers would like. Leave a review letting me know whether or not you'd be interested in seeing a lemon in the future. (: thanks!

REVIEW!


	18. Chapter 18

Winry inhaled sharply as she and Kain entered the small bookshop. It was unlike anything she'd expected. The tall bookcases were lined up neatly in three rows down the middle of the shop, with the smaller ones tucked snugly to the side of every wall. There were several piles scattered on top of the smaller bookcases, and several stacks scattered all over the shop, some of their spines torn from use. Every bookcase had what seemed to be a hundred multicoloured books of earthy colours tucked neatly into every row. Some were left by organized readers who left them with the spine visible and others left by more lazy readers shoving them in with only the fore edge standing out as white blocks, sometimes yellow for the older and worn out books. Over top on the ceiling, there hung several astral mobiles and floating angels, faux pocket watches plastered on with their chains dangling by about 3 inches, and finally a sepia tinted world map plastered on the background, stretching all the way across over head. The walls were made of wood, and tinted a beautiful brown colour (it reminded Winry of Noah). The air felt exceedingly warm and comforting, granting a sigh of relief to anyone who entered this sanctuary. The scent of sweet caramel and chocolatl danced through the air, planting butterfly kisses all over Winry's mouth and nose. She'd soon forgotten all about the feast Noah had prepared for breakfast, and longed for a bite of whatever it was emanating the aroma.

All in all, the best word Winry could conjure in her mind to describe such a haven was magical. It was absolutely magical. Everything anyone would need to take a break from living, without taking unnecessarily drastic measures.

Her eyes scanned the entirety of the bookstore once again; afraid she had missed any details of her new comely 'home away from home'. The shop window displayed their current bestsellers, propped up on vintage looking book stands. If it were possible for inanimate objects to look proud, those novels would have been prime examples. Their titles were printed on in beautiful calligraphy. The book on display on the right side window was entitled '_The Great Gatsby' _and the book on the left side window entitled '_The Outsiders'._ Winry had never heard of such books before, but assumed they must be popular, considering they were on display.

Kain pressed a small bell on the counter, a tense look on his face that didn't quite seem annoyed, but more concerned as to why such a beautiful shop had been left unattended. The first ring hadn't even finished before a young boy, who looked to be no older than seventeen years, stumbled out of the back room, hastily fumbling around with his name tag. His impressive height was the first thing Winry noticed about him. He was easily three heads taller than her, and had quite an impressive build. But his intimidating physique stopped there, as he had a head of short, curly brown hair, and modest eyes in the form of two round emeralds. The poor boy nearly sprinted to the counter, apologizing again and again while doing so.

"It's just rare to see people here so early in the morning..." He mumbled sheepishly. Kain held up a hand to stop him.

"You're working up a sweat, kid. It's alright don't worry about it." The boy flashed a shy smile at the two.

"What can I help you with? An order, a particular book...?"

"Actually, we're looking to apply for a job."

The boy's eyes nearly leapt out of their sockets. "Really? Here? Both of you?"

"Actually," Kain began, glancing at Winry. "Just my friend here. She's from London, you see, and she just moved here and is currently living with me and my wife. She wanted to find somewhere quiet to work for a while, just until she can settle down back in London with another friend of hers."

"How do you do?" Winry smiled at the boy. He averted his eyes with a quick reply, his cheeks tinting pink slightly.

"You do have positions available, I hope?" Kain asked. The boy's head shot right back up, as he nodded hastily.

"Yes, yes! Of course, we needed employees, actually!" He reached under the counter, bringing out a pale sheet of paper.

"I'll just... Err, we'll just need her name – I, I mean _your_ name," He said, turning from Kain to Winry. "And your current residence. A phone number would be nice to have as well, Ms., um..."

"Call me Winry." The blonde smiled, taking the piece of paper from him. The boy nodded, scratching the back of his head, and handing her a quill pen. Winry gazed at the pen with amazement.

"Seems like your store has lots of surprises," She breathed. The boy blushed once again.

"That's kind of you, miss. This isn't actually my shop, its, um, my Aunt's."

"I figured it wasn't yours." Kain said, as Winry began scribbling on the paper. "You look old enough to still be in school. Any reason why you're not?"

The boy looked at him, puzzled.

"It's Wednesday, boy."

"Oh, is it?" The boy scratched the back of his head again. "I suppose I lost track of time, being here all the time. I'm homeschooled by my Aunt, sir."

"So you are." Kain nodded. Winry glanced at the spectacled man.

"Um, Kain, I'm not quite sure what your address or phone number is." She mumbled, handing him the paper.

"Here, let me."

Winry nodded, placing the pen down and continued her scan of the store. She felt eyes peering at her, and turned to see the boy's glued gaze. He nearly jumped out of his skin when her face met his. Winry smirked.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Allan, miss. Like Poe."

Winry nodded, although unsure of whom this 'Poe' person was. "Nice to meet you Allan."

The boy nodded shyly. "Um, miss, may I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Err; this man said you're from London. But you haven't an accent at all. Why's that?"

Winry blinked, and felt Kain tense with a pause, and continued writing again. She smiled warmly.

"I come from far away, Allan."

The boy nodded several times. "I see." is all he said, clearly understanding that such matters weren't of his business. Kain finally placed down the pen, and handed the paper with Winry's information to Allan. The boy's lips slightly parted.

"Rockbell? That's a musical surname, miss." He said enthusiastically.

Winry giggled. "Thank you!"

"We'd be glad to have you whenever you're ready. I'll just need some time to let my Auntie know about our new employee. I'll give you a call by around 6 o'clock tonight, miss."

Winry and Kain nodded in unison. "Thanks for all your help, kid." Kain said, tipping his hat. Winry blinked in confusion.

"You're... hiring me on the spot?"

Allan nodded. "We're in need of some help. See, Auntie's been running this bookshop for a long time now, but she's always had this venous ulcer below her left knee, and it hurts her to walk too much. She insisted on making errands today. The grocer next door offered to help before he opened his store, bless him. Other than Auntie, I'm the only other employee. We'd be glad to have you."

Winry placed a hand over her heart. "And I'm glad to help, Allan. I'll be looking forward to your call, then."

The duo bid the teenager goodbye with warm smiles. Winry didn't stop to look back at the shop until they had crossed the street over to the stop sign where the traffic officer stood, a flask of coffee in one hand, and the other covering his mouth with a yawn. She had realized she had forgotten to check the name of the small bookshop. Squinting, her eyes traced each letter to erect the clean image of '_Pinako'_. Winry chuckled to herself quietly; pondering who in their right mind would dare name their child or anything else for that matter, 'Pinako'. That bookshop really did have lots of surprises.

* * *

The night fell in gloom over the small bar. Alphonse flipped the sign over on the door, dragging his feet down to the kitchen to begin cleaning the beer glasses once again. It was evident that Edward wasn't picking him up tonight either, and Spencer had been oddly quiet all evening. But Alphonse didn't bother asking, the man was like a rock. When anyone would show a hint of concern for him, he'd reply with a measly grunt that raised hairs at the back of all their necks. His eyebrows were always arched, even when the gin was laughing for him. There were sickly creases in his forehead, and wrinkles that made his eyes look stretched. The moustache he bore had grown so long, it draped over his upper lip in a curtain of light brown and white streaks. At least he had the muscle mass of a giant, enough to scare away the drunks and the rejects.

And luckily for Alphonse, Spencer actually liked him. Edward, not as much. But regardless of the favours Spencer had done for him, Alphonse couldn't help but believe he deserved better than the less-than-provincial life he'd lead up to this point since leaving Amestris, not to mention he deserved better respects from his brother. He had been a somebody back in his own world, an alchemist of souls. He'd saved his country, his brother and quite possibly his whole world.

The one problem lay in the fact that he hadn't been able to save his brother's whole world, which lay in the bosom of the blonde they'd both seen be torn in half.

He wouldn't lie to himself; his brother cared deeply for him. He had been the whole reason Edward had ended up in this world to begin with. But when worst comes to worst, and you've saved one of the people you love, one would more than willingly want more than that. You'd take all you could be given, and soon, you'd realize you want more than what _has_ been given. They'd been careless for a split second. That second was more than enough.

Alphonse shook his head fiercely, averting his attention back to wiping the thick glass in his hand. _I just wish I could stop thinking about that. Blaming ourselves isn't doing anything for us..._

Alphonse was almost relieved upon hearing two heavy fists pounding at the kitchen door.

"'Ey, Elric... Ye got company..."

Alphonse let out a huff of frustration, turning the tap off and shaking the water droplets off his hands. "The bastard shows up _now?_ Thanks for nothing..."

Spencer placed a heavy hand on the young man's shoulder. Alphonse nearly leapt out of his skin, and barely forced himself to suppress the small squeak that was daring to escape his lips.

"It ain't that jackass brother of yers... Some lil' lady. She got quite the bust..." He mumbled, walking towards the sink while releasing quiet chuckles that sounded more like growls than anything. Alphonse shuddered.

Making his way to the front, the amber eyed man peering out from behind the bar, to find himself staring at a familiar doctor's back.

"Dr. Harriet?!" Alphonse exclaimed, quickly making his way out from behind the bar counter. Bunny turned to him with a smile. "What are you doing here at this time of night? It's a dangerous place for... for... um."

The doctor raised her eyebrow at the boy. "For a woman? I don't need that from you, Al..."

"Y-yeah, sorry... That was uncalled for." He mumbled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. He motioned towards a table nearby; furnished with the two most stable chairs in the entire bar that Alphonse was at least _half_ sure wouldn't break under their mass. "Come, let's sit down. Do you want anything to drink?"

Bunny shook her head, placing her purse down on the table. "No, thanks, Al. How are you doing?"

Alphonse wanted to say the usual 'I'm great! How are you?', but when he opened his mouth to speak, the only thing that escaped his lips was air. He stared at the doctor for a few seconds before dropping his eyes to the ground in defeat. "I'm alright."

"Al?"

The amber eyed man exhaled slowly. A silence hung in the air for several short moments. Alphonse began counting the phalanx of his fingers one by one, subconsciously trying to avoid the subject, but when he still felt Harriet's eyes on him, Alphonse straightened his back and cleared his throat.

"My brother and I..." He began, trailing off for a few seconds. "I don't know what's happening anymore, Harriet."He finally finished, slumping once again.

Bunny swallowed before replying. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we fight about everything. His whole presence just pisses me off. And vice versa, I think. He seems so distracted lately." Alphonse replied calmly, tracing the edge of the wooden splinter-bound table.

Bunny cleared her throat, feeling a sympathetic twinge in her stomach. "W-Well, our jobs are quite stressful, Alphonse. You understand, don't you? And besides, he's a new doctor. It'll take him a while to adjust. He just needs some time, Al. Don't take it personally."

Alphonse chuckled with a nod. "You're correct, Dr. Harriet. I suppose all I can really do is give him his space. Well, anyways, enough about Edward and I. Did you need anything in particular? I mean, it's odd seeing you here."

Bunny fidgeted nervously. "Wah- No, no, I just... Was on my way somewhere and thought I'd pop in and say hello."

"This late?" Alphonse raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!"

Alphonse blinked and shrugged. "That's kind of you, then. Thank you for your visit. It was very thoughtful" Bunny nodded with a chuckle, and began fidgeting again.

"Uh, _so_, um... You said you and Edward have been arguing?" she asked. Alphonse paused for a moment before nodding.

"He hasn't said anything... _Odd_ to you, has he?"

The sandy haired man rubbed his chin. "Well, no, not really. Nothing I haven't expected, really. Why? Was he supposed to?"

"Not at all. Well, it was good to see you again, Alphonse. I'll be going n-"

Alphonse held up his hand, stopping her mid-sentence. Bunny mentally kicked herself.

"Was he supposed to?" Alphonse asked again, his eyes piercing through her this time. It was the long pause in which Bunny didn't answer, when Alphonse finally understood and narrowed his eyes at the woman. "What are you two up to?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bunny said her face emotionless.

"No disrespect... But I know for a fact that you aren't dumb, Dr. Harriet, so don't act like you are, please."

Bunny turned her back to the boy with a nod. "Goodnight, Al. I'll take that advice to heart."

Alphonse nearly leapt in front of her, blocking her way with a sour expression written over his face. "Please stop this. I don't like all this secrecy, Harriet."

"Nobody does, Al." She replied with a stale chuckle. "Secrets don't make friends."

"So why keep them?" Alphonse fumed.

"Because it isn't my place to speak."

"But you clearly want me to know." Alphonse said, unmoving. "You came here, knowing I didn't know, and now you expect me to go home and pester Ed about it until he tells me, isn't that it?"

Bunny blinked patiently at the man. "I don't control your actions, Alphonse." She replied.

"If it isn't your place to speak, then why even come here?! You're just butting into everyone else's business and causing more tension between my brother and me! I'm getting sick of this!" Alphonse snapped, clenching his fists tightly. Bunny's expression finally cracked, and Alphonse almost immediately regretted his harshness.

"I'm doing this because sometimes, somebody's decision affects other people as well." Bunny replied, her voice growing coarser with each word. "You Elrics need to realize that. Your idiot brother has a hard time understanding it, and so do-"

The doctor stopped herself midsentence, realizing she'd said more than enough. She glanced at Alphonse on more time, an unfathomable expression on his face. Swallowing the nervous pit in her throat, she turned on her heel and walked out of the bar.

* * *

**A.N:** I'm sorry this chapter is so short! I'm trying to work on a schedule regarding the chapter updates, and I had a ton of homework to do this week and I'M SORRY! OTL.

Anyways, the quality isn't my best, I know, and I'm really sorry! ): Regarding the question I asked you guys last time, it seemed like most of you aren't comfortable with that sort of material so I'll stay away from it. Just a heads up, though, that there WILL still be some violence later on. Not enough for it to be rated M, but... Well, it's a T rated story, guys. You've got to expect SOMETHING right?

Anyways, I'd like some reviews! What do you guys think of Allan? He's a sweetheart, ain't he? (:


	19. Chapter 19

Winry and Noah had received a call from an elderly woman whose voice would crack several times mid sentence at around 8 pm that night. She had told Noah that she'd be honored to have Winry working for them, although the payment would not be too much, considering the fact that they were already low on sales as it was. Noah had gotten the message through to Winry, who had been taking a much needed bath at that time. Noah smiled, and seated herself on the stool next to the tub, as Winry leaned back, savouring the feeling of warm water blanketing her skin. The two women had somehow begun to talk of Noah's past, as she'd explained that she'd been separated from her parents at a young age, and had begun travel with a group of Roma women who would often either stop by brothels, or offer themselves as servants to gather several coins in order to feed themselves. Then, they'd be back on the road with cloth covering their features, in fear of highwaymen stopping them for reasons Noah chose to keep to herself. She told Winry of one of the women who had gone missing one night on their travels from Hamburg to Bremen. When they had awaked the next day, they hadn't even bothered looking for her. After several minutes on the road, they'd passed by something that looked like a corpse that had been torn from stab wounds, intestine leaking from the body like Sunday porridge. Noah had been young at the time, merely fifteen years of age. When she'd asked the other women about it, none of them answered, or had said anything for that matter for the entire trip. Only silent murmurs of the older women could be heard as near-silent buzzes, either cursing or praying, in which Noah was unsure of. Winry shivered beneath the steaming waters at the thought of constantly being afraid of the world around you, the world you were placed in against your own will. The Roma smiled quietly to herself, feeling blessed by the fact that Winry hadn't placed false judgement on her upon hearing these things. Of course, Noah had left out the whole part on her encounters with the Thule Society, and Winry's own fate as she'd seen it. When Winry asked what had happened to the group of women she'd travelled with, Noah's eyebrows arched into a frown as she began shaking her head, mumbling something that sounded like curses and atrocious words. Finally, the Roma concluded that she'd didn't give a care in the world of what had happened to that group of women, declaring that their existences were better off forgotten. They had apparently travelled together merely for survival purposes. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had second thoughts upon selling one of their comrades for pocket money. Winry shrugged modestly in the bathtub. What more was there she could do? Besides, Noah was probably right. After all, in the times they lived in, those women would live only to forget their own names.

The two chatted until Winry felt the water growing lukewarm, and finally slightly chilly. Noah tossed her a towel, turning her back to give the blonde her privacy. Winry hesitated for a moment after wrapping the towel around her body.

"Noah..." She said. "Do you think you can do something for me?"

"Of course," Noah answered, turning around to face the blonde again. "Go on. Name it."

"Can you please cut my hair?"

Noah blinked, dumbfounded. "But, you have such beautiful blonde hair... It'd be a waste-!"

Winry shook her head, interrupting the Roma. "No, not all of it. It's just grown too long... And the ends are split and lanky... If I'm going to begin working tomorrow, I'd like to look half decent."

Half decent wouldn't even be enough to describe how beautiful Winry would still look with horse dung smeared across her nose and her left arm disfigured into a burnt pretzel, Noah thought. The Roma pursed her coloured lips, nodding slowly.

"I suppose you could do with a little change," Noah lied. "A trim could be due for you. Very well, allow me to fetch my scissors, please..."

Noah returned swiftly with a moderate sized pair of scissors to find Winry sitting obediently on the stool, her back slightly slouched, making her collarbones stick out. The tips of her long blonde hair barely brushed against the floor tiles, where a small puddle had gathered from the wetness of her tresses. Noah positioned herself behind the girl, sitting on the edge of the bathtub. Quickly, she began snipping away piece by piece, cutting about fifteen inches off of what the blonde previously had. Winry hugged the towel tightly around herself, squirming uncomfortably several times. She had begun to sink lower and lower into her seat as the time passed.

"Is everything alright?" Noah asked calmly, continuing snipping away strands of hair off of Winry's head. She stopped only when the blonde seized to answer with her shoulder beginning to quiver slightly.

"Winry?" Noah asked again, concern in her voice this time.

"My body is disgusting, Noah." Winry finally said. Noah blinked in confusion, scanning the woman's body several times from the side and the back. Even seated, Noah could make out the potential shapely figure Winry was capable of, not to mention her breasts were quite large as well. But then, Noah began noticing the bony knees, the sucked in cheeks, the pale complexion of her face, and the tired bags under the blonde's eyes. The Roma gulped, patting Winry's back in sympathy.

"There, there. Your body is fine." Noah whispered. Winry shook her head immediately.

"No, Noah, you don't understand..." she began. "Nothing about me is fine. I want to know things, I want to know everything. I want to be normal, healthy, sure of myself! Why am I so lost in this world?"

Noah listened silently as the blonde sobbed. "I, too, want to be all those things, dear... But I am not."

Winry hiccupped, turning her head to meet the Roma's eyes. Noah smiled back at her.

"You see, Winry... I am a Roma woman, living in Europe, the white man's civilization. I must disguise everything about myself. I am not granted the freedom of living in my own skin. I suffer serious migraines often that could potentially kill me, but I am unable to see a professional doctor to be cured once and for all. However, I'm grateful..." Noah picked up her scissors once again, gathering a thin strand of hair from Winry's head and snipping off a few inches off the bottom.

"I'm grateful that I have a wonderful fiancée who is willing to take care of me. I'm lucky to have Edward and Alphonse as such wonderful... friends. I'm lucky to be able to sit here with you, and tell you these things. But regardless of how grateful I am of these things, there are many things I am confused of, unsure of. There are many things I want to do. But I can't. Because I am me. But I know things won't stay this way forever." Noah smiled, her eyes gleaming with longing. "I will sort things out soon. As will you."

Winry smiled and nodded, wiping away stray tears on her cheeks. "Forgive me, Noah. I suppose there are people out there who have it worse than me."

Noah placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "That doesn't make your problems insignificant."

Winry's smile was left unnoticed by the sound of Kain entering the house. Winry scooted to the side of the bathroom to avoid his eyes falling on her, as Noah arose from her seat on the bathtub, hurrying out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her.

"Leave the hair there; I'll come sweep it up afterwards." She called from the other side of the door. Winry shook her head.

"Ah no it's alright, I'll just do it."

Winry removed the towel from her body, slipping on her undergarments and the comfortable gown Noah had left neatly folded on the counter. Reaching under the counter, Winry pulled out the dusting pan and hand broom. Crouching down to meet the floor in which her dead hair lay, she glanced to the side, meeting her own face in the body mirror. Her hair, that was once down to her thighs and would have been pooled around her feed had it not been chopped off, was now just an inch above her waist. Winry smiled at herself, for the very first time.

* * *

_The hallways were empty once again, but the silence screamed like a banshee in his ear. He saw nothing, felt nothing anymore. Nothing mattered more to him that finding her again. He would find her, and save her from the cruel world around her. She was safe with nobody but himself, and that was a true fact that nobody in the world would understand, but himself. Even if she resisted, it would not matter. He was doing this for her safety. Because that's what he did._

_He kept people safe._

_His heels clicked rapidly on the marble tiles, the wind lashing at his face as he walking briskly down the bleak corridors. The dust at the corners of each wall mocked the man he was on the inside, claiming he was no different from them. He didn't care._

_He'd keep walking._

_His heart pounded violently in his chest, as if trying to break out and stop him from his deeds. He paid no attention._

_He'd keep walking._

_Finally, he reached the door that kept a gold plaque on the outside, reading 'Archives' in a fancy, calligraphic scrawl. He rummaged through his pockets, his fingers wrapping around a pointed object. Fishing it out, he inserted the key into the keyhole, twisting the knob, and swinging open the door._

_He kept walking._

_Flicking on the light switch, he scanned the patient filing cabinets for the correct classifications. Once he'd done so, he began skimming through the files towards 'W'. Cursing, he remembered the patients had been sorted through by last name._

_He wouldn't give up._

_Pushing the cabinet shut, he turned towards the employee archives. Grinning toothily, he fished into the filing cabinet section 'E'. Fishing out the folder, he began rummaging through the personal information division; home address, home phone, full name, city... _

_Alternative contact address._

_He'd found it._

* * *

**A.N:** I so sorry for such a short chapter, everyone. Honestly, this past week has been really hectic, and I haven't had much time to write. I literally did this chapter as effectively as I could without falling asleep. I want to stay consistent with my updates, and not leave it like I did before, when I'd update once every month/2-3 weeks... I also have more readers than I did before, so that's a motivation factor for me as well. School is getting crazy for me, but I want to keep you guys happy. (: I love writing this story (it's a lot of fun, plus its my most successful one so far), and I have tons of ideas for other fics as well. But I'm kind of refraining from starting anymore fics until I've finally finished this one, and am able to put all my focus onto one fanfict. Thanks for your patience, you guys are awesome.

Review!


	20. Chapter 20

Alphonse had arrived home at exactly 1:30 am. It was no surprise, as this had been the case for the past week or so. He was glad for the fact that it was the weekend the next day, so perhaps he'd be able to read a story or two in the newspaper before heading off to bed.

The crumpled paper lay on the couch. Edward had most likely sat on it while watching television again. Alphonse picked it up, shaking it several times.

_Fritz Lang Questioned by German-English Man Assumed to be Representative from Disbanded Thule Society. _Alphonse frowned, reading on. It appeared as if the director had been threatened for information by a mad he'd assumed to be from the Thule Society. He'd managed to slip away before the authorities had arrived. What on Earth could that have been about? Not that it bothered Alphonse much – the Thule Society had disbanded long ago when he and Edward had defeated them.

"Al?" Called a groggy voice from down the hall. Alphonse glanced up to see Edward walking towards him, rubbing his eyes. His hair was let down from the usual high ponytail, and he was wearing pajama pants two sizes too large.

"I'm home, brother."

"I can see that. Sorry I couldn't get you. Hectic week this time around..."

Alphonse nodded, turning back to his paper.

"Have you heard about Fritz Lang? Apparently, some guy threatened him, and now he's going on about how he thinks the guy was from the Thule Society."

Edward blinked several times at him. "Weird. I remember that guy. I talked to him once. You remember Fuhrer Bradley, right? That psycho? He looked exactly like him."

Alphonse snapped his head upwards with a look of disgust and confusion. "Fritz Lang is Fuhrer Bradley's doppelganger? Criminy..."

Edward nodded, seating himself down on the couch. "The guys probably just getting too old for his own good."

"But, Brother," Alphonse began. "What if there are other supporters of the Thule Society? What if they're trying to reopen to gate and manage to-"

"Nonsense, Al. Remember, we closed the gate in Amestris before coming back here." Edward replied softly, leaning back into the couch and crossing his arms behind his head. "Even if they wanted to, they couldn't."

"But what if there's a way to do so without needing the gate in Amestris?"

"Like how?"

Alphonse shrugged. "Who knows? Knowledge, physical evidence... heck, maybe you and I could hold the secret to the gate reopening. I mean, we are objects of that world."

Alphonse noticed a flicker of fear in Edward's eyes for a split moment without him moving a muscle. Edward stayed silent for a little while, staring off into the distance. Alphonse patiently waited for his brother to say something. His earlier discussion came back into his mind. Bunny had implied that there was something Edward was keeping from him. He wanted desperately to ask, but he kept himself from doing so. This was, after all, the first conversation they'd had without it turning into a fight. And Alphonse wanted to keep it that way.

Finally, the younger man stood up, and announced his retirement to bed. When he heard no response, Al glanced down to see that Edward had dozed off in his thoughts, and was now silently snoring away. Alphonse grinned, fetching a blanket from the cupboard down the hall, and laying it gently over his brother. Edward twitched in response. Alphonse stood there for a moment longer, watching his brother sleep. It seemed as if he'd finally recognized him again.

* * *

The clock had barely struck 7 when Winry had arrived at _Pinako_. The scent of caramel and chocolatl ambushed her nostrils once again, and brought a smile upon her face. Although the weather had begun to get warmer outdoors, the coziness of the bookshop was always the more comforting option. Looking around, the shop was deserted once again, as usual, but the faint sound of rustling coming from the back room behind the counter comforted Winry's worries. She decided to wait for a few moments, not wanting to embarrass Allan like she had the other day. Her eyes, in the meantime, skimmed the tops of the bookshelves, and she noticed small labels over each shelf. "_Fiction; Mystery, Fiction; Horror, Fiction; Adventure", _read the bookshelves along the front and far corner of the shop. The ones continuing down the far wall listed numerous other genres of fiction novels. Winry turned her head to look at the tall bookshelf, just across from the counter. It read "_Almanac and Scientific Papers"._ Curiously, Winry slowly made her way towards the shelf, her eyes scanning across the row of books that were eye-level to her. Her fingers fished into the tight crowd of books and withdrew a semi thick tome-like book, with golden letters printed over its cover, reading '_Anatomy of the Guise, Volume I'. _Winry's eyes squinted slightly. She turned the hard cover of the tome open, revealing the author's name, publication dates, and dedications. It seemed as if the author had dedicated it to his university professor, whom he'd seemingly shared a deep admiration for. Winry began to flip past the copyright rules and introductions, reaching the page that finally read "CHAPTER ONE" in big, bold letters.

_CHAPTER ONE_

_The phenomenal influence of the human species has broken through history as multitudes of intelligence. The specific branch of biology and medicine, that considers the structure of living things, and is closely related to topics of embryology, comparative anatomy and comparative embryology, has been birthed through the common roots of evolution. Of course, the vast topic of such a subject has been broken down to numerous categories; the anatomical structures that can and will, when suitably presented or dissected, be seen by unaided vision with the naked eye, the studies of minute anatomical structures on microscopic scales, along with histology and cytology, studies involving deeper understandings of cells and the studies of tissues, relating moreover to-_

Winry nearly jumped out of her skin when the sudden sound of someone clearing their throat rang from behind her. The blonde spun around, the thick book still in her arms to meet the eyes of-

Absolutely no one?

"Down here, madam."

Winry gulped and glanced downwards to find a small old woman standing before her, two fists clasped onto her hips and a smoking pipe sticking out from between her worn out teeth. Her gray hair was wrapped tightly in a bun at the top, just a little ways past the crown of her head. She wore flat surfaced oxford shoes on her tiny feet, an evergreen dress that almost covered her entire tiny body, with a white apron tied around her tiny waist, and finally, a pair of round spectacles perched on top of her tiny nose. Everything about this woman was small, except for the aura surrounding her. Regardless of her height and the sly smirk on her face, Winry still knew of the intimidation this woman was capable of.

"What's th' matter, madam? Cat got your tongue?"

Winry opened her mouth to reply but found her breath hitch in an instant. The blonde suddenly realized she was extremely, extremely nervous. The old woman noticed this, and threw her head back in a laugh.

"Hah-ahhh I'm juss' kidden ya'. What was yer name 'gain, madam?"

"Winry. Rockbell. Um! Winry Rockbell!" Winry breathed, giving the woman a quick bow. In return, the old lady rubbed her chin slowly, nodding and eyeing the blonde up and down.

"So I've heard. Yer our new employee, yeh? O'right then, lets git started now, shall we?"

Winry nodded, as the old woman smiled and turned around, walking back towards the counter. She glanced down at her arms to find the tome still resting comfortably on her forearms. _Oh! I should probably put this ba-_

"Ye kin borrow that if ye want." The old woman called without turning around. Winry shook her head.

"Oh, no, I was just looking, I didn't get very far-"

"But ye was right into it." The old woman finally turned around, smirking at her. Winry blinked in confusion. "Ye din't even notice me walk in, or whistle. I know love for a book when I see it, madam. And you juss' fell hard."

Winry's cheeks tinted pink as she muttered a thank you, realizing that arguing with this woman was beyond her. The blonde slapped the book shut and tucked it under her arms, following the old woman behind the counter and into the back door. Winry was surprised to see it lead straight into a small living room, with stairs next to the door, leading straight upwards. The living room was small, no doubt. Everything was tinted a beige-like colour, with hints of yellow. But perhaps that was merely the morning sun flooding in through the windows.

"'Ere you go, madam." The old woman said, handing Winry a beige apron. Winry took it with confusion.

"Uh... Why do we need aprons?" She asked. The woman smirked.

"Well, dustin' books, bindin' 'em and cleanin' up new ones are difficult tasks, m'dear. 'Nd I wouldn't wan't yer pretty blouse gettin' messed."

Winry's eyes widened. "Binding books? I have no idea how to-"

"You'll learn." The woman smirked for a moment, before letting it drop. "We used to have a real great business goin' on, bindin' books I mean. That is, before the war, of course."

"The w- Oh. Yes, the war." Winry gulped. She'd almost asked '_What war?'. _That wouldn't have made her look good, considering the fact that not many people would be able to forget such an event. She still couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a war, and who had been fighting. Her guess was that Britain had had something to do with it. She made a mental note to ask Kain about it later. It would be nice to remember a few things about her world.

"Why would book binding go out of business because of the war, though?" Winry asked, clasping her hands behind her back modestly.

"The propaganda scare had really shaken people up, madam." The woman replied with a sour expression. "Writers got discouraged after their novels stopped sellin'. Everyone kept sayin' that they were juss' hoaxes to get more soldiers."

Winry nodded. "I understand."

The old woman cleared her throat several times, before straightening her back out. "Alright, time for business! The names Pinako by th' way, madam."

Winry nodded with a smile. So that was where the shop had gotten its name. "Please to meet you, Miss Pinako. I'll try to help in whatever way I can!"

"I'll be expectin' you to. Let's start with unpackin' these boxes. We got some used books in yesterday, and we need to start labelin' em."

Winry nodded. "Hey, doesn't your nephew work here as well?"

"Sure does." Pinako replied, gliding the box cutter over the tape that sealed the cardboard together. "He'll be down soon. He gets inspired sometimes, and stays up in his room writin' away in his journal. Or, his many journals, heh. That boys got quite the imagination, ye know. Last summer, he'd gotten through reams of paper. About 4 journals in th' course of juss' two months."

"Does he aspire to be a writer?" Winry asked, taking the large stack of books from Pinako and setting them down on the counter. The old woman nodded.

"Aye, and he'd be a darn good one at that."

"You're so confident in his talents." Winry smiled.

"Not juss' his talents, madam." Pinako shook her head. "A good writer usually writes 'bout things they know well about like the back of their hands. My boy Allan has been through much in his life." A sad and distant look overcame the old woman's eyes, and suddenly, fiery air around her turned to soot. "His father died in the war when he was juss' two. 'nd his mother, his poor mother... Before she was slaughtered, she lived th' nightmare that was another man's dream."

Winry froze and shuddered. Her mouth had dropped open slightly. "I... I..."

The old woman's eyes snapped up in surprise. "Goodness, me. Ye gotta forgive me for that, girl. You had me under a spell of some sorts."

"Forgive me."

Pinako waved a hand at her. "Ye shouldn't be, madam. You got a way with givin' people th' security to share anythin' with ye. Don't know how you managed to get all that outta my mouth with just two sentences."

Winry smiled and shrugged. "Thank you, I suppose. Its nice to know I'm trustworthy."

Pinako chuckled. "Aye, girl, but bein' too trustworthy ain't good either. It's enough to be carryin' your own weight, but too much of other's weight can be overwhelmin'."

Winry's smile dropped. Suddenly, the two women heard pounding footsteps making their way down the stairs. Allan revealed himself, wearing a sour expression on his face. He looked rather annoyed, until his eyes fell on the two women. His face crumbled into one of surprised, and he quickly gather himself up.

"Oh! Miss Winry! I'm sorry, I forgot you'd be here, I- OW!"

Pinako had slapped his back with a chuckle. "Allan, m' boy! First ye get down late, and then yer wearin' a pitiful look on yer face as if ye'd been denied yer rights as a human! We got a guest, for Christ's sake!"

"Ah, I'm sorry, Auntie! Writer's block had gotten to me, and you know how much I hate it..."

Pinako chuckled once again. "Heh, yeh, I know! I was juss tellin' Winry here 'bout yer passion!"

Winry smiled at the boy, and in return, Allan turned beet red.

"Y-You did what?!"

"Don't be embarrassed!" Winry laughed. "It's nice to see people being passionate about things! Really! I'd love to read some of your stories sometime!"

Pinako scoffed. "Please, yer easier off talkin' to a wall, ye are. He refuses to let anyone read anythin' except for me."

Allan grumbled under his breath as he tied the apron to his body. Winry's smile faded slightly. "That's alright."

"Well, if he's gonna wanna become famous, he's gotta be more open 'bout his work."

"Here, Auntie, this stack is done." Allan said, holding a stack of books out to his aunt. She took them with a nod, making her way to the back of the store. Allan sighed and turned to the blonde.

"Sorry for that... She tries encouraging me in the 'tough love' sort of way. Winry giggled.

"What were you stuck on?"

"I needed a new character, but I wasn't sure how to make them. I have a villain, a protagonist, the supporting characters... But I just needed a main supporting character, you know?"

Winry tapped her chin. "Well, your aunt was telling me that a good writer writes about the things that they know. Why don't you base the character off of someone you know?"

"May I base it off of you, Miss Winry?"

Winry blinked. "On me? Well, I suppose so... I'm not quite sure if my 'character' would be a very interesting one-"

"Nonsense!" Allan cried. "You are very interesting, Miss Winry! You'll be a very likeable character!"

Winry grinned. "Well, in that case, I suppose it couldn't hurt! But... on one condition."

Allan's face dropped in nervousness.

"I'd like to read all about my character once you've finished."

Allan gulped. "O-Of course..."

* * *

**A.N: **So sorry I couldn't update last week, guys. Schools getting crazy for me. I'll update when I can, but I doubt I'll have time to go perfectly on schedule. I'M SORRY OTL

On another note, a big thanks to Wikipedia for supplying me with an intro I could write for the Anatomy of the Guise. Isuckatsciencesomuchomfg

Review!


	21. Chapter 21

Allan sat at his desk, tapping the fountain pen against the clay pot of utensils that lay beside his lamp. He barely used that lamp, but it was a gift from his parents back when he was five. It had taken then several weeks savings to buy for him, putting aside the groceries, and taxes they'd have to pay off. The desk itself was something of an heirloom. Auntie Pinako had used it as a little girl, and she'd finished her first book of poetry on it when she was only sixteen. The wood was splintered here and there, and the brown of colour had worn out, but Allan wouldn't have it any other way. It was something that held memories. What better place to let his imagination flow? And after all, he now had an idea of where to go from where he'd left off the previous morning. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, Allan took a deep breath and began to glide his pen across the sheet of paper that had brainstorming ideas and characteristics of each of his characters. It was 6:11 a.m sharp on a May day. The perfect time to write.

_Her name was Winifred Rutherford. She enjoyed maple ice cream with chunks of walnut inside. Her hair was strawberry blonde, but more red than yellow. Her eyes were a bright green, but the heterochromia in her right eye caused the area around her pupil to have a yellow tint. She had more freckles on her nose than on any other part of her face. Her passion was art. Her hands would create, and never destroy. She had the smile of a sun, and if it stretched far enough, you could faintly see a dimple on her left cheek. She loved dancing on her tiptoes the most, and her favourite dancing style was folk because she loved the part where she'd get to spin and have her knee-length floral dresses (which she'd sewn herself, might I add) be whisked through the air in liquefaction. She had a collection of sunhats in which she'd keep on a coat rack that stood proudly at the corner of her room, right across from the door so that visitors could get a clear outlook on her style. No matter what she'd do, she'd have that stray twinkle in her eyes, and that spring in her step. She was the kind of girl you'd want to have conversations with, the kind of girl whom you couldn't bring yourself to think ill of. Winifred Rutherford was the glimmer of hope in her loved ones' hearts. She was just that kind of girl. The kind of girl anyone could easily fall in love with._

"Allan?" Pinako's voice came from behind the closed door. The old woman twisted the doorknob open.

"Auntie. Good morning, how are you feeling?" Allan asked, placing his pen down.

"Fine as ever dearie. Ye got the basics down of the new girl?"

"Y-yeah. But only the good stuff. I still need to get to the flaws, of course..." Allan chuckled, running his fingers through his hair. Pinako nodded, picking the paper up. Her face remained still, but Allan was more than used to it by now. It was until Pinako had read it midway that he'd realized-

"Rutherford."

"Y...Yeah... Sorry. I should change that."

Pinako shook her round head. "No. If it came from the core, ye should never give it up."

Allan lowered his gaze to the ground. He suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and before he knew it, the usual knot began twisting at the pit of his throat. Pinako sighed, placing the paper down and lifted her nephew's chin upwards with her index finger, rubbing his cheek softly with her thumb. The curly haired boy didn't bother trying to hide the tears that had begun brimming the edges of his eyes.

"She reminds ye a lot of her, don't she?"

Allan nodded weakly.

"Perhaps we shouldn't have accepted her." The old woman mumbled softly. Allan's expression suddenly turned alarmed, and he shook his head furiously.

"No, Auntie! No, it isn't fair to punish others for our own sake." Allan said. "Mother always said that. Miss Winry has shown me – us – nothing but kindness, even though we've known her only for two weeks."

Pinako stared at her nephew for a long time. Finally, she turned around on her heel, and headed for the door.

"Go wash yerself up for breakfast, dearie." She called. "I'll make yer favourite pancakes. We got th' maple syrup as well."

Allan smiled. He glanced back at the page, and considered revising for a minute. He shook the thought away as quickly as he could. It had come from the heart. And in the heart, it shall stay.

"Allan! I think Winrys here! Why don't you go down and greet her?"

Allan sprang up from his chair, bounding down the stairs one by one. He reached the door leading to the shop just as the blonde stepped through the front door. She smiled at him warmly.

"Good morning, Allan!"

"Good morning, Miss Rockbell. Hope you're doing well today. Granny and I are making pancakes upstairs. Come join us!"

Allan led Winry up the stairs into a small living area with an open doorway leading to a kitchen, and a narrow hallway with three doors. Pinako walked out of the open doorway towards the dining table, holding a plate of pancakes. She smiled at the blonde.

"Welcome to our humble abode, Winry. Hope ye like maple syrup."

Winry nodded, trying not to show her wavering smile. She was unsure of whether she liked maple syrup or not. Had she ever had it?

The three settled into their meal, eating in silence for a short while. The syrup was sweet, unlike anything she'd had before. It didn't taste familiar in the least, and Winry wasn't a very big fan of sweets. Regardless, she slathered a small amount over top of her pancake.

"Only one, madam?" Pinako asked.

"I had breakfast before coming here, Pinako. It was very kind of you two to invite me, though."

Pinako chuckled. "Not at all, madam. Ah, speakin' of which, Allan, why don't ye show Winry yer character outline? Ye did base the character offa her after all, didn't ye?"

Allan nearly choked on his mouthful, coughing and pounding his chest several times. Winry chuckled.

"Don't worry, Allan. You don't have to show me if you don't want."

Allan shook his head hurriedly. "It isn't that, Miss Rockbell! I, uh..."

Pinako caught his eye from the opposite end of the table. She sighed, and looked down at her meal. Allan's eyes fell in unison with hers.

"I'm not finished yet, is all."

Winry nodded, placing her last forkful into her mouth. "Well, thank you for the delicious pancakes. I should go down and open the shop right about now. We have a few orders to book by tomorrow."

"I'll come and help." Allan said, picking up his plate. He avoided eye contact with his aunt as he passed her on the way to the kitchen. He could hear her faint muttering as he followed Winry down the steps towards the shop. The blonde handed him his apron, and tied her own at the back with a tight not. After flipping the sign over so it read 'open', the two of them began unpacking the new books that they'd had come in the previous day.

"We should begin labelling first." Allan suggested, motioning towards the first pile. Winry nodded, picking up the clipboard that had the charts in which each book was listed under in alphabetical order and genre.

"Okay, this one, _'Dust and Nobles_', crime fiction."

Winry raised an eyebrow, and scribbled the information down.

"_Take West, _psych horror... _Rattle Grit, _science fiction, _Amos_ apocalyptic dystopian, _Charles Falls-"_

"How do you know all this by just looking at the book cover?" Winry breathed. Allan, glanced upwards, a blush covering his face.

"Er... I've probably read every book there is to know, Miss Rockbell. Most of these, I just remember off the top of my head."

Winry's jaw dropped open. "Wow. That's amazing Allan, for a boy your age to know so much about something. How old are you? Sixteen, seventeen?"

"Eighteen, actually, Miss Rockbell."

"That's wonderful!" The blonde exclaimed, glancing back down at her clipboard while scribbling away. "You're one of those people whom I can predict will go far in their future."

"If only Auntie were as confident in me as you are." Allan chuckled. Winry shook her head.

"Your Auntie is very confident of you, Allan. I think she just wants you to be just as confident. She wants the best for you."

"I know that, Miss Rockbell. She just puts a lot of pressure on me sometimes. I know I'm talented... I just... I need time."

Winry gave him a sympathetic look. If one weren't to know him, they'd think Allan was joking. It was a little unordinary to see a rather fit, tall young man such as himself speak in such a way. Then again, looks could be deceiving. Winry placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Sometimes, people who care about you put pressure on you because they think it'll help. They do it for your own good, even if you don't understand what's really going on. But, I guess... You just have to trust them, right?" Winry's eyes grew downcast momentarily. Allan shifted slightly before placing down the stack of books in his arms.

"Wait here, please." He said, before rushing back up the stairs through the back door. Winry sighed, staring down at the novels. One in particular caught her eye briefly. The blonde bent over, scooping the book up as she scanned the back teaser. It was a hardcover novel, with many recommendations from apparently large publishing companies on the back. Turning it over, her eyes scanned down the cover which had a green dragon encircling a trigon-like ruin, eventually leading to it eating its own tail. The book was entitled '_Fall of Ouroboros', _and written by a man called Fritz Lang.

Winry frowned. She'd heard that name before somewhere. It was several weeks ago in the newspaper Kain had been reading. Winry turned the book over once again, reading the back. The book was seemingly about a dragon figurine heirloom that had been passed down a family line for several generations, eventually leading to it falling into the possession of a man who failed to see its significance and losing it, only to be faced with multitudes of misfortune upon committing the deed due to a curse of grudge. It then followed the story of how he came to retrieve it, and continue the cycle his family had placed upon him.

"That's a great book," Allan said, walking through the doorway with a sheet of paper in his hand. "Although I haven't a clue what gave him the idea to write a book about that."

"Really? I didn't know he was an author as well. Kain told me he was a film director." Winry replied, glancing back down at the book.

"He is. That's the only book he's published or even thought about writing," he said. "Apparently, he said he had to write it because it was inspired off of a green dragon he'd once saw and wanted to make a film with. The guys crazy, I'm telling you."

Winry smirked, glancing at the paper he held in his hand. "What's that?"

"Its... my character's outline so far. The one I based off of you, kind of."

Winry nodded. "May I?"

Allan paused for a moment, then nodded, handing the blonde the paper. He immediately turned pink, and grabbed the clipboard, scribbling away furiously.

A smile slowly shadowed over Winry's face as she progressed through the character outline. She finally looked up with a giggle.

"I must say, I'm flattered."

Allan shrugged, turning red. "It was just first impressions turned into words kind of. She's a combination of two people actually, you and somebody else."

"I could tell." She replied, rereading over it. "I'm not a big fan of sweets, dancing, or sunhats and I don't have heterochromia. I've also never had a partner."

"N-no, those things are what I've taken from someone else."

Winry's eyes shifted from the paper over to Allan. "Oh? Do you mind me asking?"

Allan fidgeted nervously, but he seemed more distraught than embarrassed.

"H-Hey, Allan, you don't have to tell me if you-"

"I really don't get it, Miss Rockbell." He whispered. Winry stared at the boy, unsure of how to react.

"She was a friend of mine, Miss Rockbell. She was the niece of Mr. Rutherford, the grocer next door. Her name was Freya. Freya Rutherford of Hampshire. Her family was close with ours, and she'd visit here every summer. Every single one. She wouldn't miss it for the world. Even though she was supposed to be helping her uncle out, and I helping my aunt, instead, we'd often run off and catch a bus to the hills where we'd spend all day just laughing and joking about the year we'd been apart for. She'd tease me for the fact that I hadn't gone to school for several years. Then, at around seven every night, we'd meet up with several friends at the local hang out joint where we'd laugh and dance all night long. She'd always make me buy her a glass of maple ice cream, and if the waiter dared leave out the walnut chunks, she'd begin to chant '_Here comes a candle to light your bed, here comes a chopper to chop off your head'_, a morbid line from Orwell's book _1984_. It was always a stupid move, because the waiters would get scared and call their manager over, who had to explain to every new employee that she was kidding, and she'd done the same thing the previous summer. My friends and I would laugh, but scold her afterwards. She'd always just chuckle and tell us we were overreacting. Freya was really something.

It was two years ago when I realized I was in love with her. My childhood friend was all I ever thought about anymore, and I found myself growing impatient for summer to approach. When it finally did, I got scared. I almost didn't tell her. And then, the night before she left, I kissed her. My worries vanished only when I realized she wasn't pulling away. When I looked at her afterwards, she just smiled and said 'You're supposed to ask me to marry you now, Allan'. So I did."

Allan paused for a long while. Winry bit her lower lip, realizing this story wasn't going to have a happy ending.

"Allan..."

"Miss Rockbell, please be alert when you walk home at night..." He began, his voice growing shaky. "We were, her and I. But that little boy across the street wasn't. And his poor grandmother, too old to be able to do anything. The driver was too drunk to care, and Freya... too selfless to care. "

His shoulders began to shake, and Winry gasped, dropping herself onto the floor in front of him and gathering the boy into her arms. Allan wrapped his arms around her waist, and buried his head into her shoulders as sobs erupted from his fragile throat.

"Miss Rockbell, I don't understand, you look just like her." He hiccupped, more tears streaming down his face. "Miss Rockbell, you've brought her back to me, even for a brief second..."

Pinako stood in the doorway, watching as his nephew cried in the arms of the woman who bore the face of his lost love while the sheet of paper lay on the floor next to them with two stains of tears on it. One over 'Rutherford', and the other acting as a period for the last sentence.

* * *

Noah stared out the window for a long time after Kain and Winry had disappeared out of sight. She sighed, glancing back towards the dining table that needed to be cleared up.

Life had certainly taken an odd twist for the Roma woman. She'd seen the girl die, but there she was, walking on two legs, living under the same sky Noah lived under, breathing the same air Noah herself was breathing. For heaven's sake, she was living with her now. Noah had suffered migraines several weeks prior to Winry's settlement into her home, similar to the ones she'd suffered mere months before meeting Edward. But as of now, her headaches were practically gone.

_It must be the transition between worlds that affects me so,_ Noah thought to herself. The connections of alchemical capabilities and her own visions tore the limits of how close the two worlds truly were. There wasn't supposed to be any true intersection point of the two – it would cause an unneeded paradox that would throw both worlds into catastrophe. Luckily, the actions of the Thule Society hadn't been recognized by many. As for Winry's world; she was unsure. They had caused lots of conundrum.

It worried Noah, the possibilities that Edward, Winry, and Alphonse's existence in this world would create calamity. They were unsure of what had become of the remaining members of the party after Eckhart's fall. Noah decided not to think on it for too long.

The sky was growing darker. Winry would soon be home, and Kain would as well. The Roma decided to begin making dinner. She took the lamb leg out of the freezer, and placed it on the counter to defrost. Noah felt an odd tingle in her chest all of a sudden. It crawled towards her stomach, and then up to her head.

_How odd... What is..._

Suddenly, it came to her. A scream, a man, a porcelain hand falling limp to the side. Noah felt her breath hitch and her head begin to pound. _Oh, no, no, no. Not again._

Noah's eyes widened, with the name 'Winry' on her lips.

* * *

**A.N:** Freya is Winry's doppelganger. My theory is that when the people from Amestris cross over to the alternate world, their doppelganger in that world dies somehow. Therefore, when Winry showed up in this world, her doppelganger Freya was killed. (Alfons Heiderich died from illness right before Al entered the world, Ed's doppelganger was killed by a zeppelin falling on him, both happened in the 2003 FMA/Movie CoS)


	22. Chapter 22

**A.N: TRIGGER WARNING: A very brief and short mention of sexual abuse in this chapter.**

* * *

Noah ate her dinner in silence, the faint buzz of Kain and Winry's conversation being heard in the background of her thoughts. She tapped nervously at the side of her plate with the metal spoon in her hand, her eyes glazing over to Winry occasionally. She'd come home at the same time she normally did. She'd greeted her the same way, had changed, washed up, and helped her prepare the remnants of dinner, just as she had done before. Kain had arrived not soon after, and their overall days seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary. As of now, Winry was telling them of the story her co-worker had told her about that lady friend of his. It had been a slight shock to the both of them at first, considering their knowledge of doppelgangers, but that story soon settled in and the couple had accepted the tale as another conversational topic Winry had chosen. She spoke with sympathy in her voice, and Noah began wondering if her mind was beginning to get the best of her. That vision she'd had earlier that day, it was no hoax. Something wasn't right. And yet, everything was. Noah's eyes averted back to Winry, whom was in deep conversation with Kain. _No, _she thought to herself quietly. _She's quite alright. For now anyway. I had best keep an eye on her._

"Thank you for the meal," Winry said, turning her head to Noah with a smile. "I'll help clear the table."

Noah nodded, pushing her chair back, gathering the plates and heading to the kitchen. She turned the faucet on, letting the cold water shower over the dirty dishes and cutlery. Winry and Kain followed close behind her with the water jug and leftovers.

"Pack some for my lunch tomorrow, please, dear." Kain yawned. "It was delicious."

"Yes, of course." Noah replied. She held his gaze for a moment longer. Kain raised his eyebrow and nodded, understanding. He retired to the living room, newspaper in hand.

"Winry, could you hand me the dish soap, please?"

Winry nodded, handing over the bright blue bottle. She fetched the dry dish cloth from the hanger, and patiently awaited the start of her chore. She stole quick and awkward glances at the Roma, seemingly trying to think of something to say.

"So, Noah... What do you do at home every day?" The blonde asked quickly. Noah raised an eyebrow at her, and Winry nearly slapped a hand to her own face.

"Err, I mean... You can't leave the house, correct? How do you keep yourself busy? I mean, it, um... It must get boring, and well-"

"I read a lot." She replied softly, breaking Winry from her tangent. "I often sew. I bake, I pray, but one thing I never do is feel sorry for myself." She smiled at the blonde, who was gazing at her with interest. "So I suppose there's no reason for you to feel sorry for me either."

Winry stared at her for several seconds before nodding quietly, taking a wet dish from the Roma's hand and wiping it dry with a dish cloth. "I just can't help but believe you deserve more, you know?" she said, surprising Noah. "You're brave, living in a country that is so prejudice."

"The struggle is what makes me stronger." The Roma replied chastely.

"But not many people are brave enough to endure the struggle." Winry said. "Human beings... we're a terrifying species, aren't we, Noah? We're thieves. We take things that aren't rightfully ours, even with sober minds let alone wasted ones. Today I learned that a wasted human mind can even steal lives. That isn't right."

"No. It isn't." Noah replied, her hands performing circular motions on the foamy dishes. "But, you know, Winry... Beauty is created through contrast."

Winry raised an eyebrow at the Roma. "Contrast?"

"Contrast." Noah repeated. "Night and day. Light and dark. Black and white. Or in this case, bad and good. The is negativity in the world in order for us to recognize the positivity. There is winter for us to appreciate summer. There is night in order for us live during the day. And once we learn to appreciate the beauty in life, we gradually come to accept the ugliness of the world as well. Not appreciate, but accept. After that, the world isn't just black and white anymore. We learn to cope with the grays as well."

Winry nodded, her eyes glued to the now-damp dish cloth. "Contrast..." She whispered to herself.

Noah smiled. "And you know, I have hope in the world, Winry. I don't believe things will stay this way forever. The world will change one day. Kain wasn't always as open minded as he is now, you know."

Winry's head briskly turned to the Roma, her eyes wide with surprise. "Huh?! Mister- uh, I mean, Kain?!"

Noah nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, Kain. The first time we met, it was through Edward and Al- uh, another friend of ours." She began. "He gave me a once-over look and scoffed! 'The nerve,' I thought! Soon after the death of our friend, he agreed to accompany Edward, Alphonse and I to England. It was then that we really had a chance to speak."

"How did it happen?" Winry asked with a hint of excitement in her voice. Noah felt her cheeks flush slightly.

"It... happened very slowly." She explained. "It was the day after our friend's funeral. We were on the road towards France, because we were going to take a boat from there to England. We had tons of time on our hands, so I decided to try and strike up conversation while Ed and Al conversed with themselves. Kain was still a little wary from the fiasco that had happened in Germany, our previous home. I think he found me quite annoying at first, always taking any chance to strike up conversations with him. But once I had broken through that tough exterior, I found that he was quite interesting.

At one point, while we were hitching a ride to the city, we were stopped by a group of highwaymen. It was terrifying for me, because I had seen what they would do to people from a very young age. We tried getting away but they were far too quick. They killed our driver... And they tried to take me. They were shouting all these profanities at me, such horrible, horrible things they would say... And that's when Kain stepped in.

He'd smacked one of the bastards – excuse my language – upside the head with a stick of wood he'd found in the carriage. The man swore like a sailor, he did. Ed and Al soon joined in with him, and they managed to warn them off. I was shaking and crying... I could barely hear anything. I'd once witnessed a companion of mine being... taken advantage of, when I was very young. It was horrifying. I had believed that the same would happen to me. And so, there I was on the ground, shaking and crying, before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes to find Kain looking down at me. His face was bruised and bloody, but there was such a sheer sense of softness and comfort in his eyes, I almost embraced him with all my strength. He asked me if I was alright, and confirmed it was all over. We buried the driver and continued on our way on foot. The horses had stampeded away when the group had attacked.

None of us really said much afterwards. Once we'd gotten to the city, we tried getting into a hospital. But once they saw me, they refused to help either of us. I felt horrible, Winry. Here my friends were, beaten and battered and unable to get help because of me. We spent the night resting in a back alleyway. We tended to each other's wounds as much as we could. I wiped off the blood from Kain's face using a ripped rag from my own dress and water from a puddle nearby. I hadn't realized I was crying again until Kain wiped a stray tear from my cheek. He told me it was alright, and we hadn't given up yet. And, well, I suppose that is when I realized I had fallen for him."

"Wow, Noah. I never realized how many hardships all of you have gone through. Especially you. Life must have been very difficult up to now." Winry whispered. "You're such an inspiration, Noah."

Noah stared at the blonde. "I'm nothing special, Winry." She began, plunging her hands back into the soapy water and unplugging the drain. "You're the real mystery..."

"Pardon? I didn't catch that."

"Oh. It's nothing."

"Well, alright." The blonde placed a hand over her mouth, catching the yawn that escaped her lips. "I'm going to bed early tonight, if that's okay."

"Of course." Noah nodded.

"Thanks for sharing your story, Noah." The blonde smiled, hanging the damp dish cloth on the hanger next to the cupboards to dry. "Goodnight."

Noah watched the blonde disappear into her bedroom. Her eyes turned and locked onto Kain's. He sighed and placed down the newspaper on the coffee table, shaking his head softly.

"When is Edward planning on telling her anything?" Kain asked a hint of annoyance in his voice. "It's been almost a month. This is starting to get personal, Noah. Soon enough, I'm going to have to take charge. I refuse to keep her in the dark, she doesn't deserve this."

"I understand your frustration, Kainan." Noah replied, rubbing his back softly. "Just a little while longer, please. If Edward doesn't act by then, well... I won't hold you back."

"That guy needs a reality check." Kain scoffed. "Winry seems so bored all the time. She hasn't asked about Edward once in her entire stay."

"She doesn't want to be a bother, Kain." Noah explained softly.

"Here, get me the phone book." Kain said, standing up and making his way over to the telephone. "I'll call him myself."

Noah nodded, disappearing in the bedroom and returning with a thick book, filled with stray papers. Kain quickly dialed in the numbers with a frown. Noah bit her lower lip, returning to the bedroom. She gazed at herself in the mirror for a while, a flood of chagrin suddenly washing over her. The Roma rubbed her hands together and shook her head.

_Noah, what have you gotten yourself into?_

* * *

Edward paced restlessly around the living room. This was the first night in a long time which he'd been able to arrive home decently early. He'd even called and offered Alphonse a ride home, which his brother had quietly rejected, claiming he was planning to go over to a friend's house to cram for the exam they would be having the following weeks. Not that Edward had minded much, but he'd hoped to try and overcome the odd tension that had risen between him and his brother. He was now at a loss of what to do. The news had become boring to him, he'd just had his dinner, and he was not in the right set mood for reading.

Bluntly put, Edward Elric was _bored_.

Thoughts of his blonde friend began to rise up in his mind. The last night he'd talked to her was several weeks ago. He'd tried calling a week ago, but Noah had said she was working at the time, at a bookstore down the road. He was surprised to hear that she was fairing so well. It hadn't been too long ago that she was bedridden and fragile. He had been worrying about her a lot. Before he had left Amestris, she had a rather built and shapely figure, her arms especially muscular from the automail engineering she'd done. When he'd found her again, she was thin as a noodle, looking as though she'd snap in half from the wind. He'd even been hesitant at first to send her off with Kain and Noah, his most trusted friends. But now, he was glad to know she was doing well with them. Edward glanced at the clock, reading 10:30 p.m. Perhaps they were still awake, he thought.

Just as he reached for the phone to dial in their number, it rang. Edward raised an eyebrow.

_Who's calling at this time of night?_

"Hello?"

"Edward." Kain's voice replied from the other end.

"Kain! I was literally just about to call you guys. How're you all doing? How's Winry? Is she awake?"

"You just missed her," he replied. "She went to bed not too long ago."

Edward felt his shoulders slump. "Oh."

"Speaking of... When're you exactly planning on visiting her, hm? Or telling her everything?"

Edward scratched the back of his head. "Well, I can't just suddenly spill everything out to her, can I? It'd be too much to take in. I'm trying to think of the best way to do it..."

"Fair enough." Kain replied. "Why don't you start with another visit? It's been a while. I think she misses you."

Heat rose to his cheeks. "Uh, w-what? Did she say so?"

"Obviously she didn't say so, you dope." Kain grumbled. "But, we can tell."

Edwards shoulders slumped again. "Oh."

"Well, we'd be glad to have you... Anytime soon?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Edward replied, scratching the back of his head. "I think I'll come over on Wednesday. I haven't taken any days off just yet. They should let me go for a week."

"Wednesday, then." Kain confirmed. Edward nodded.

"Uh, yeah."

"What are you going to do about Alphonse?"Kain asked quietly, almost as if fearing the boy would overhear.

"He has exams for the next few weeks... He wouldn't be able to come even if he wanted to." Edward scoffed.

"That isn't what I meant, Edward..." Kain mumbled. "I mean, when are you planning to tell him?"

Edward paused for several seconds. When _was_ he planning on telling his brother? It had been over two months since he'd found out about Winry, and he'd still held off telling Alphonse. At that moment, it had become a matter of _how _he would tell him. Not just _when._

"Edward?"

"Just don't worry about Al for now, Kain." Edward replied. "He'll find out soon enough."

"I sure hope so, Ed. He's your brother, and was just as much part of Winry's life as you were. Please remember that."

"Yeah..." Edward replied with a sigh. "I'll see you soon, Kain. Say hi to Noah for me."

Long after he'd hung up, Edward's mind was buzzing with different thoughts. He sighed haphazardly, leaning back against the couch. It was all too much to weigh on his mind only. He decided to ignore the nagging chores he still had to do, and focused on the fact that he'd see Winry again soon. He allowed a small smile to creep over his face. He'd see her again. And for now, that was all that mattered to him.

* * *

**A.N:** So sorry for the long wait ): I had a lot to do these past few weeks... I'll have to finish this story by the end of June, cause I'll be going away for the summer. So... yeah. It'll be done by the end of June :3 Review please!


	23. Chapter 23

"S'cuse me, sir, you alright there?"

Edward nodded, waving a hand at the old man. He was leaning forward over a grubby trashcan, the remnants of his stale lunch on the train gurgling in his throat. His left hand was clasped over his mouth, and his face had turned a sickly green. God, he hated train rides early in the morning.

Bending backwards slowly, Edward picked up his suitcase from the ground, inhaling the light scent of fresh air into his nostrils in relief. The old man shook his head, fishing into his pockets and revealing a pack of peppermints.

"Here, son," he said, holding a peppermint out to Edward. "Ye might wanna have one. Cures nausea like no other."

Edward graciously accepted the treat, almost unable to restrain himself from shoving the mint into his mouth like a dog. The effects gradually took over, calming his senses. With a quick thank-you, Edward jogged to the opposite entryway of the station. Several taxicabs were parked along the perimeter of the building, a river of businessmen flowing in and out. Edward scrunched his nose at the sight. How he hated them. Quickly, he seated himself in the nearest taxicab, handing the driver the address along with several pounds. It had been a while since Edward had visited Kent, almost two years to be exact. Normally, it would be Noah and Kain who would visit the brothers. The circumstances at this point in time were different, though. Edward and Alphonse were both in school still at the time, and were low on their budget, not able to afford train tickets along with their daily necessities as well.

The cab stopped directly in front of Kain and 'Nora's residence. It had been just the way Edward remembered it. A small house, white exterior brick walls and brown shingles as a roof. It brought a smile to his face.

Edward gathered his suitcase, dragging his legs up the steps. It was barely 8:30 in the morning on a Wednesday. Surely Kain and Winry were out of the house by then. Edward sighed. He'd have to wait.

After three knocks and several seconds, the door was opened to reveal Noah's beaming face.

"Edward!" She laughed giving him a quick squeeze. "Come in! It's been so long."

"It has." Edward replied, patting Noah on the back. "Sorry to have come so early."

"Don't mention it. Go on, sit down. I'll bring you some coffee and biscuits. You must be hungry."

"Hungry for _real_ food." He mumbled in a barely audible voice, his stomach twisting again from the memories of the 'sausage casserole' he'd had on the train. He lowered himself on the couch, and felt the tight muscles in his lower back relaxing. It took everything in him not to release a groan of comfort. Instinctively, his eyes wandered the room. The small kitchen where Noah was pouring a plump mug of tea in, the stack of boxes in the corner, Kain and Noah's bedroom, the bathroom, and finally, a door that was left slightly ajar, revealing a readymade bed with a nightstand holding a vase of flowers. Winry's room. Edward rose from the couch, slowly making his way towards the room. Pushing the door open, a homely waft hit him like a train. It smelled slightly of strawberries. Edward simply stood there for a few moments, gazing at the room. If he didn't know better, he'd just assume this was a guest bedroom. There was no trace of personal belongings, all her clothes seemingly tucked into the drawers of her dresser. Unfortunately, he did know better, which kept him glued in his place.

"Edward?" Noah's voice called from behind him. Edward lost his train of thought, turning back and walking towards to couch again.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Edward chuckled, accepting the mug from the Roma. Noah stared at him for a short moment before seating herself on the opposite side of the table.

"They left over an hour ago." Noah said, playing with her fingers. "Winry usually starts work at around 7:30. She likes going in early, though."

"She didn't know I was coming today, did she?" Edward asked, a nervous knot in his chest. Noah shook her head slowly.

"No. No she didn't. Kain wanted her to be surprised."

Edward smirked, leaning his head back against the couch. He and Noah had dove deep into conversation in almost no time at all. She began asking about his work, his life in London, about Alphonse and how he was fairing (Edward barely hesitated telling her about their rough patch), the young Doctor Harriet, and Alphonse's superb grades in mechanical engineering. Noah responded with brief details of her own life, confirming she'd been fairing rather well, considering her situation. They chatted for several hours, just like old times, maybe a bit happier than that, even. It had certainly fazed on Noah that Winry played a part in it. Thoughts of the blonde began reminding her of the odd visions she'd been having. Glancing at the blonde before her, she thought twice about telling him, in fear of wiping that radiant grin off his face, as he was leaning back into the couch. She mentally kicked herself. He deserved to know.

"Edward... I've been seeing things."

This immediately caught Edward's attention, as he lowered his head back and glared at the Roma with a frown. Noah sighed.

"My migraines... They're the cause of transition between the twin worlds." She began. "I was having them because of Winry's arrival."

"How can you be sure?" Edward asked slowly. Noah shook her head.

"There's no other explanation. Don't you remember? I had the same one the day we brought Alphonse back. And I also remember having two others before... seemingly one when your father entered our world and one when you did."

"I guess that makes sense." Edward replied, scratching the back of his head.

"But... at the same time, Edward, it doesn't." Noah responded. "Winry di- Eh... The events back in Amestris happened roughly 7 years ago. Winry just returned under a year ago. Why did her transition take so long? _How_ did she end up here?"

Edward shook his head, his eyes falling to the ground. He really hadn't thought of that. How _did_ she survive? How did she get here?

"Do you think the patterns on her stomach are a part of it?" Noah asked. Edward squinted his eyes, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index fingers.

"I really don't know." He replied finally. "That tattoo is really weird. It looks nothing like a transmutation circle, for one thing. The patterns are all vertical. Transmutation circles have precise symmetry, and the patterns must be part of an ongoing cycle, in a circle. But that one... I've never seen anything like it before. I've studied alchemy for years, and there's been so such record of it."

Noah sighed. "Well that isn't all..."

"What is it?"

Noah hesitated for a moment. "A few days ago," she began. "I had a strange vision. I didn't... I didn't quite _see_ a lot but I did _hear_ something rather disturbing. There was a man. And a body. A really light skinned body that was lying on the floor, so comfortably, almost as if it were asleep. But there was also a scream. A very frightened one."

Edward bit his lower lip, his frown arching further downward. "What are you thinking?"

Noah sighed. "Edward, I... I don't want to jump to conclusions." She finally replied. Edward shook his head.

"Then don't. I don't want to be thinking about that stuff right now. I just got her back, Noah."

Noah parted her lips slightly, hesitating her words for a moment. "Edward... Do you love her?"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "I've always loved her, Noah. She was- _is_ family to me."

"You know what I mean." Noah said with slight annoyance. Edward's face remained unchanged. He was silent for a moment, just watching the Roma, his eyes glancing towards the clock (the time was 2p.m) and back again.

"I don't know, Noah."

Noah pursed her lips slightly, before standing up and making her way into the bedroom.

"She works at the bookstore down the road, if you want to go see her. Pinako." She called.

Edward's eyes widened at the name. Noah had barely made it to the room before turning around to see Edward going out the door. She sighed. A small part of her had hoped he'd stay and chat with her for a bit longer.

* * *

"...Please forgive me, Miss Rockbell..." Allan squeaked from beneath the counter, hiding from the cloud of dust that had surfaced around the shop. Winry chuckled, continuing her chore.

"Don't worry, Allan! I've got it all under control."

Allan nodded, regardless of the fact that Winry wouldn't be able to see him, and sniffled to refrain from sneezing for the hundredth time that day. The bookshelves needed cleaning, and Pinako had asked Winry to do it on the same day she'd positioned Allan to categorize at the counter. He peeked out at the young woman, whose hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and was cascading down her back like a sunshine waterfall. Her bangs were swept to one side, tucked behind her ear, and there were two long loose strands on either side of her head. She looked rather pretty this way, despite the black grime smeared across her left cheek, and the fact that she was wearing cleaning clothes. She was almost done cleaning the entire shop. She'd begun at 8 a.m, as it was currently 2 p.m. Perhaps she'd finish quickly and be allowed to go home.

"Well, well, would ye lookit this place!" Pinako's voice boomed from behind the counter. Allan looked up to find his grandmother looming above him, two fists on either hip, a sly smirk on her face and her usual pipe sticking out from between her teeth.

"This place hasn't looked so clean since last spring cleaning!" She laughed. "Allan 'ere aint very good with cleanin'. Allergies, he says. Bah!"

"I really am allergic, Auntie..." Allan sniffled.

"Allergies are fer th' weak, boy." She called with a flick of her wrists, ignoring the 'I don't think you understand how allergies work!' shout that came from her nephew. She strolled over to Winry, patting her on the back.

"Well done, girly. Although you're due fer a wash. Better go clean yerself up the best you can so you can get home without lookin like a beggar."

Winry nodded. "Right I think I'll do that."

Winry disappeared through the back door. Allan grumbled, finally standing up and wincing from the pain of his bones cracking from doing so.

"We've been getting more and more customers these days." He said, rubbing his posterior. Pinako chuckled.

"Its cause 'a madam there." She said. "She quite the looker 'nd all the men wanna get a good look at 'er."

As if on cue, the door swung open. Allan turned to face a young man whom he hadn't seen before. He had a square face, golden hair pulled back into a ponytail, a simples white blouse and dark brown khakis. Allan gulped when he met his eyes. It was as if he were thinking '_what the hell is he looking at?'_

"Hullo, sir. How can we help ye?"

The man's eyes traveled down to meet Pinako's. His eyes widened suddenly, and he almost jumped. Allan raised an eyebrow.

"Uh... I was looking... for... Winry." The man finally replied. Pinako threw her head back and laughed.

"Ye see, Allan? Another suitor for Miss Rockbell!"

The man's face suddenly crumbled into confusion and fluster. "Huh? Suitor? That's not it at all! I'm a good friend of her's!"

Pinkao seized her laughed and turned back. "A friend, ye say? What's yer name?"

"Edward. Edward Elric."

Allan's brow rose in surprise. "You're Edward?" He asked, gawking at the man. Edward raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Oh. Um... Nothing, she - I mean Miss Rockbell! – told me about you."

He looked surprised, and Allan could've sworn he saw a faint blush appearing over his cheek. Rubbing the back of his head, Edward mumbled an 'I see'. He really wasn't what Allan had expected. The boy had to admit, he was handsome. It was no wonder Winry had a swooning look in her eyes when she'd talk about him.

"Alright, I'll get 'er fer ya." Pinako called, making her way back behind the counter and through the back door. Allan awkwardly stood still, swallowing the nervous pit in the centre of his throat.

"S-So... uh... do you... like... things?"

Edward raised an eyebrow, and Allan had to restrain himself from slapping a hand over his own face.

* * *

Winry could hardly contain her excitement, nervousness, confusion and panic. He was here! She heard the conversation between Edward and her co-workers from behind the back door, her heart nearly seizing in her chest. Why was he here?

Finally snapping back to reality, she looked down at herself. The work smock she wore was covered in dust grime, as were her arms. She spun on her heel and dove back into the bathroom, nearly shoving her whole head under the running water of the tap. Grabbing the towel off the rack, she scrubbed away at her arms, tossing the dirty towel and smock into the laundry bin. Breathing a sigh of relief she tilted her head up to look at herself in the mirror and froze in horror. There was a prominent black smear of grime across her left cheek. Frantically, she turned the tap back on, splashing water onto her face repeatedly. What if he'd seen her like that? She'd have died of embarrassment!

"Winry, ye got a friend 'ere to see ya." Pinako's voice came from behind the door along with two gentle knocks.

"I'll be there in a minute!" Winry blabbed beneath the dripping water of the sink. Looking back into the mirror, she was relieved to see the black smudge gone. She sighed one last time, reaching for the towel and-

_She'd used the towel to scrub her arms!_

Her mind was thrown back into panic, as she spun around herself, looking for something to dry her sopping face with. She groaned, reaching back into the laundry basket and fishing out the smock. Flipping it inside out, she used the opposite side to pat her face dry. She glanced in the mirror one last time, undoing her hair from its high ponytail and letting her long yellow hair cascade down her back. She took several deep breaths, placing a hand on her chest. Glancing up to reassure herself one last time, she dropped the smock back into the laundry pile.

She quickly ran to the door, but paused before revealing herself. He was there! Edward! Winry pinched her cheeks several times to stop herself from smiling, and stepped out.

Almost immediately, her eyes met with Edward's. He looked bored almost, but once he caught sight of her, his face broke out into a smile. Winry felt her heart begin to flutter, and her stomach begin to do somersaults. She didn't try restraining the grin that slowly spread across her face.

"Hey, Win." He said with his boyish smile. Winry forgot about self restraint, and immediately ran towards him, throwing her arms around his neck and pecking him on the cheek. She immediately felt his arms around her waist, lifting her up and returning her embrace with equal strength.

"Edward! You're here! I'm so happy!" She laughed, burying her face into his shoulders. Edward felt his cheeks cramp from the wide smile he had.

"I missed you, Win. I had to come and see you again."

Winry pulled away slightly, shocked. "You came all the way here to see me?"

Edward nodded. "Why else would I come?"

Winry shrugged, oddly okay with how close their faces were, before realizing Pinako and Allan were still watching them. Her face suddenly turned beet red, and she removed her arms from around Edward's neck, ignoring the temptation to stay the way they were, with Edward's silent breaths tickling her lips.

"I suppose I should introduce you. Edward, this is Pinako," she began, motioning towards the old woman, "and Allan." She said, motioning towards the boy who was slightly blushing from the scene that had just taken place. Edward nodded at both of them with a smile.

"Nice to meet you."

Pinako nodded. "Likewise." The old woman then turned to Winry with a smirk on her face. "I suppose you'd like to leave early today to spend some time with this young man."

Winry's jaw dropped open. "Oh, I...! Well, um, I mean-"

Pinako held up a hand to stop her. "Consider it done. You've worked hard enough today, madam. Go have fun."

Winry clapped her hands together. "Thank you, Pinako! Bye, Allan!"

Pinako sighed, turning to Allan, who was staring at the couple leaving with a distant look on his eyes and a smile on his lips. The old woman's heart sank in her chest. She opened her mouth to say something – anything – but Allan beat her to it.

"Freya's happy, Auntie." He said. "Freya's happy."

* * *

Edward had announced that he was disinterested in returning home so soon, and Winry had accepted his request to take a detour through the parks before heading back. She could hardly contain her excitement. She told him about her days at the bookstore, and about Allan. She told him about Freya (although he seemed slightly shocked about that). She told him about all the books she'd read, and how mechanics fascinated her, and how she'd like to study it one day, when things were 'back to normal'.

Edward had stayed quiet through most of the talk. He'd just watch her with a smile on his lips. When he'd helped her up onto a high stone ledge of a fountain, she hadn't let go of his hand. When he'd cracked a joke, she rolled her eyes and chuckled. When he purchased a hazelnut cone for her, she'd pecked him on the cheek. His heart had begun to flutter more and more with each contact they'd made. The sound of her laughter was so much more vivid than it was back in Amestris. Her complaining had become easier to sit through. At one point he'd remembered the broken zeppelin piece piercing through her body, and had almost pulled her into him, holding her with everything he was, is, and would be.

The sky was beginning to grow darker by the time they'd returned. Kain had opened the door for them, his face breaking out into a grin upon seeing them together. The four of them had dinner together, then tea (coffee in Edward's case. Why was tea ever invented?), and soon, Winry had let out a silent yawn. Noah suggested she go sleep, picking up the plates and heading to the kitchen with Kain in pursuit. She nodded, saying her final goodnights, and pecking Edward on the cheek one last time.

It had become something of a habit for her at that point. As for Edward himself, he'd begun to subconsciously wish she'd practice her aim for next time.

* * *

**A.N:** DOUBLE CHAPTER UPDATE IN ONE WEEK WHAT-WHAT!? This is kind of my apology for not updating for about 3 weeks. HEHEHEHEH-eh... I GAVE YOU A POOPY-LOAD OF EDWIN HERE, SO JUST TAKE IT, AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR FEELS.


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